It has come to my attention that respect is no longer considered an essential quality in society, writes Dan Cree, CEO 3N.
The old berate the young, the young complain about the old, businesses lose sight of their employees’ needs to make money, employees become disillusioned and slack off, and so on and so on…
Nowhere is this more evident than online. Our social media platforms have become thin veneers for shouting about our own needs and trampling on those who disagree with us. We’ve lost some of what it means to communicate effectively and respectfully disagree with those we define as the ‘other’, and it saddens me deeply.
In this article, I want to address two things: the general lack of respect in society in all areas, and the lack of respect certain types of businesspersons show to legitimate businesses simply trying their best.
To my first point, it’s no secret that people respond best when they’re treated with respect. We need to feel that we are valued and understood to do our best work. Even if a person fundamentally disagrees with our viewpoints or life choices, a respectful, mutual acknowledgement of difference without slander or embarrassment cultivates the most fruitful environment for the communication and understanding of differences.
I witness a lack of respect growing particularly between people of my generation and the younger Millennial and Gen Z generations. Having grown up in wildly different cultures, it’s no surprise that there are gaps in understanding between worldviews. What saddens me, however, is the lack of desire to connect and understand why each generation thinks and responds to life so differently.
Life today is not easier, or even harder, for Millennials or Gen Z, as many Boomers would you have you believe, it’s just different. Every generation has its own troubles to deal with, but instead of becoming enraged and making this rage known online, we need to find a better way to solve our intergenerational problems and reconnect.
There are Millennials working for 3EN that have a better work ethic and skillset than I could ever have. If I’d believed what I’d read online saying that Millennials are entitled, lazy, and full of angst, then I might never have hired some of the people that are driving 3EN’s exponential growth. We may have our differences, but there’s no gap a little respect can’t bridge.
Another symptom of this overarching lack of respect presents itself in the underhand tactics people use online to try and sell quick-fix PR solutions to businesses.
I am bombarded online by emails and direct messages from people attempting to con me out of cash with the promise of a title. Perhaps it’s ‘CEO of the Year’, or ranking 3EN on a list of ‘strong’ tech industry performers, each with their own pull and appeal. They sound like great titles, but they ultimately stand for nothing if we’re being asked to cough up.
When I took it upon myself to call out the immoral practices of an individual attempting to sell me a bogus market analysis about 3EN, the tone turned quickly from charming to aggressive. I was told that if I did not purchase the product, potential clients would think that 3EN isn’t serious about its marketplace. Nonsense!
Does exceeding our annual new business target within the first six months of the year look like a business that isn’t serious about its marketplace? Does the fact that 3EN is growing so rapidly we’ve had to take on an excess of ten new staff look like a business that needs a fake injection of confidence boosting? No. 3EN does not need the ego stroking efforts of unethical businesspeople to thrive.
The lack of respect these individuals show for genuine businesses and CEOs trying to perform well and do the best for their teams is utterly inexcusable. There’s enough pressure resting on the shoulders of small businesses without adding stress in the form of batting away dodgy PRs or resisting the pull of a costly quick win.
The shadow these people cast on genuinely excellent, above board, value adding PR agencies and media publications is also upsetting to me. These people are risking the reputation of an entire industry to line their own pockets, whilst putting their desperate customers off seeking out the help of a genuine source. It astounds me that anyone would show such disrespect to the industry they claim to be part of!
Perhaps the responsibility doesn’t lie solely with the people who make up these deplorable businesses, however. If the demand for quick fixes is there, opportunists will always find a way to make money, giving no thought for how their exploitation impacts the vulnerable.
What we need then, is a universal re-acceptance of respect. The way forward in relationship, and in business, is to recognise that we need each other to succeed. It’s a mark of maturity to recognise that your contribution to society is better than one-upmanship. Once we can admit that we don’t know as much as we think we do, we’ll be a truly mature, respectful society that turns to one another for insight and collaboration.
I, for one, am committed to cultivating change. Let’s show a little respect.
