Pay attention

From Choosing Civility: The Twenty-five Rules of Considerate Conduct by P.M. Forni. From a literary perspective, one could dismiss this as trite, banal, obvious. However, the fact that there is a market for such a book is an indicator that something is amiss and that which seems obvious to some is not to others. The fact that it is still in print a dozen years after publication is probably another indicator.

The twenty-five rules identified by Forni are:

1. Pay attention
2. Acknowledge others
3. Think the best
4. Listen
5. Be inclusive
6. Speak kindly
7. Don’t speak ill
8. Accept and give praise
9. Respect even a subtle “no”
10. Respect others’ opinions
11. Mind your body
12. Be agreeable
13. Keep it down (and rediscover silence)
14. Respect other people’s time
15. Respect other people’s space
16. Apologize earnestly and thoughtfully
17. Assert yourself
18. Avoid personal questions
19. Care for your guests
20. Be a considerate guest
21. Think twice before asking for favors
22. Refrain from idle complaints
23. Give constructive criticism
24. Respect the environment and be gentle to animals
25. Don’t shift responsibility and blame

Probably worthwhile giving a copy to every newly recruited MBA or lawyer on the track to partner. In fact, it could serve as a report card.