The Courtesy System - Setting the Stage
From an operations standpoint, the Courtesy System is a collection of eight Performance Standards that are designed to help people work together happily and efficiently. In the coming weeks I will address each of the Performance Standards separately and independently, however today, I will be sharing with you how to set the stage in your business to begin implementing a Courtesy System. As you will learn, the use of such a system can help you achieve productivity and fulfilment at work by providing a framework that makes it possible for everyone in your business to communicate effectively.
When you walk into your place of business, what does the energy feel like? Is it positive or negative? Is it friendly or combative? Is it calm or hectic? Is it energized or depressed? This energy is generated by your employees through how they relate to each other and work together. However, no matter where your business falls on the continuum, chances are that there is room for improvement.
The difficult part of improvement of this nature, unfortunately, is that the way we behave towards each other is deeply ingrained and it takes a lot of effort to change such behaviour. Simply trying to be “nice” usually does not work, because it is practically impossible to be “nice” to everyone all of the time.
However, the simplicity of the Performance Standards means that everyone is able to easily evaluate their co-workers’ actions based on the same criteria. This level of open accountability is what makes it possible to change the deep-seated habits of poor communication.
Technically, the Courtesy System can be learned by rote – but it’s unlikely to be successful over the longer term. That’s because true success is only had when people understand the deeper implications of courteous behaviour and consciously apply the lessons learned.
Effective implementation of the Courtesy System requires “A Courtesy Champion” who fully understands the system and who truly believes it will work. The Champion must be able to clearly communicate the benefits of the system as well as provide encouragement to follow through with actions that may feel unnatural at first.
The Courtesy Champion can be a very lonely position – particularly if your employees are not overly receptive to the concept. As a result, the Champion may need an external support system or coach they can turn to for help when they run into roadblocks or become discouraged. If you’re starting with an employee base that is openly negative and suffers from difficult communication problems, having access to a coach is even more important because you will be getting constant pushback from naysayers.
A FEW OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE GETTING STARTED
- Everyone has to commit to the Courtesy System voluntarily; it can’t be forced. The reason being that when people see the benefit to themselves they are more likely to support the programme.
- Implement the system one step at a time; don’t try to do it all at once. Adopt the first Performance Standard and do not move to the second until people are comfortable before taking the next step
- If you absolutely feel you will not be able to successfully implement one of the standards in your workplace, do not give up. Simply move onto the next Performance Standard and try again later.
YOU WILL GET OBJECTIONS
I can promise one thing...you will get resistance because most people do not like change. I’ve been through the process myself and I’ve also walked many of my clients through it, and resistance is practically a certainty.
If you are setting the stage to implement the Courtesy System at your place of work, but are feeling apprehensive about what to expect, send an email message to robertbylett@extraordinarypeople.co.uk and request your FREE “getting started” information pack. In this information pack, I’ll share with you the easiest and hardest Performance Standards to implement in the Courtesy System. Additionally, I’ll share with you the most common problems you may encounter and the solutions to deal with them. Please bear in mind that no two problems are exactly the same, nor are the solutions.
Next time, I’ll discuss the first employee meeting to implement the Courtesy System and I’ll introduce the first Performance Standard: “Speak very politely using a person’s name – say “please” & “thank you” at a minimum.”
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