Speaking

Speaking

By age sixteen, Washington had copied out by hand, 110 Rules of Civility &
Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation. They are based on a set of rules
composed by French Jesuits in 1595.
They all have in common a focus on other people rather than the narrow focus of our own self-interests that we find so prevalent today. Fussy or not, they represent more than just manners. These rules proclaim respect for others and in turn give people the gift of self-respect and heightened self-esteem. When it concerns  the manners of speaking, the relevant rules of civility that can be drawn from Washington’s book are:

• Be considerate of others. Do not embarrass others.
• Don’t draw attention to yourself.
• When you speak, be concise.
• When a person does try his/ her best and fails, do not criticize him/ her.
• When you must give advice or criticism, consider the timing, whether it should be
given in public or private, the manner and above all be gentle.
• Do not make fun of anything important to others.
• If you criticize someone else of something, make sure you are not guilty of it yourself.
Actions speak louder than words.
• Do not detract from others nor be overbearing in giving orders.
• Do not go where you are not wanted. Do not give unasked-for advice.
• Do not be quick to talk about something when you don’t have all the facts.
• Do not speak badly of those who are not present.

• Show interest in others conversation, but don’t talk with your mouth full.
While manners of speech matters a great deal in defining the workplace relationships, it is
also essential that managers keep in mind that the following ground rules while speaking
to their colleagues or subordinates.

• Keep the message clear
• Be prepared
• Keep the message simple
• Be vivid when delivering the message
• Be natural
• Keep the message concise