Manners - a lost art?

I was getting groceries today and the line-ups were long. One guy decided to go on a little bit of a rant as to whether they wanted his business and what kind of operation where they running.

Sometimes I wonder if manners are something I developed as a result of my job or whether I've always had them innately.

In public relations your job is to bring two sides together. Whether it's the media and a company, or employees and management, or your company and a partner for a news release - one thing that is a given in PR is that generally speaking it's not about 'you' but rather about everyone else... everyone who has a role in cumulatively telling a story. Your job is to bring out the best in everyone else, because without their buy-in you will generally hit one brick wall after another.

In this process manners are essential. You are often dealing with people who have one view... their view... and it doesn't always line up with other parties involved. The ability to separate yourself from all the opinions at the table and find common ground is an essential component to moving the yardsticks forward when it comes to being effective in public relations.

I wonder if this component to my job is part of the reason that when I find myself in a long line up, or someone cuts me off on the road, I simply tend to shrug off the inconvenience.

I don't really understand what people get out of getting upset over a line up, but hey, to each their own. But that gentleman in the grocery store today would have made for a horrible PR professional, I can tell you that.

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