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Subject:Re: Inaccurate SMEs and Respect From:Rowena Hart <rhart -at- XCERT -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 17 Dec 1998 10:27:31 -0800
Jason,
>Why does it seem that, every time that someone posts a "people problem" to
>the list, there are a flood of replies about going to their managers
>immediately? Aren't conflict resolution and people skills part of our
>professional toolkit? Can't this person work it out (or duke it out) with
>the SME?
The reason why people post "people problems" to this list
is because this list is a community. If you have a problem,
you turn to your community for support and advice.
Sure, conflict resolution skills are part of our professional
toolkit. That doesn't mean that we need support and a little
courage before dealing with problems. Posting to this list
gives people a few days to cool down, collect their wits,
and think about how to tackle a situation that has them
spooked.
It's important to remember that we're not all old hands on this
list. There are a lot of people who subscribe to this list
because they are new to the profession. They may not have
a lot of people / office relationship skills in their toolkit yet.
>How can you possibly gain respect if you constantly whine to your manager
>when Billy (or Betty) won't play nice?
People, take a few minutes to think about how damned
lucky you are to have fabulous jobs and pleasant coworkers.
It's the right time of year to be thankful, in my mind. Then,
when you're feeling good, send helpful suggestions to the
list. Build your community, don't stand on the outside and
ridicule it.