Last week I viewed an archived InfoPeople webcast called Setting Boundaries with Library Patrons.. It was a pretty good overview of some of the best ways to deal with the public, both in challenging or difficult situations, and in those situations where your customer wants to be your good friend and hang out for awhile!
Perhaps I’ll go into more detail about some of the other things that I came away with in another post, but there is one point that has been rattling around in my head since I watched the webcast.
The presenter was talking about approaching customers with Respect and said that he often asks in his classes how people show respect to others. Many answer “making eye contact,” “acknowledging a person’s presence,” and I must admit that I’d probably fall in line with those answers. However, he argues, these actions are merely good manners (and should always be employed!), but that to really show someone respect is to have high expectations of them!
By always expecting the most of a person, whether they’re a customer, a co-worker, a volunteer, a friend, we’re showing that we hold them in high esteem and that we believe that they’re capable of performing at the top of the game – whatever that game may be (work performance, behavior, etc.).
I have high expectations for my staff. I have high expectations for myself. I’ve never thought that expecting the best was something out of the ordinary. I never really even thought of it as a tactic for motivation. Its simply the way it is. But what about working with the public – do I always approach interactions with the public in the same way? Do I enter into every interaction with respect for the person? Or do I sometimes come into it with a preconceived notion about what’s going on, what the behavior is, where the person is coming from?
I expect anyone I have an interaction with to assume the best and hold me to the highest level until or unless I prove otherwise. Why not do the same for them? Co-worker, volunteer, or customer – we all deserve to have high expectations placed on us – we all deserve to be approached with respect.
