It seems to be a law of nature that if you are at a networking or social gathering and comment on (perhaps not very favourably) or even criticise another professional or firm, imagining they are safely miles away, you suddenly find they are standing at your shoulder. I confess it has happened to me.
In order to avoid this, it’s probably a good idea to have a rule not to do this under any circumstances and to respect professional courtesy and not make adverse comments about fellow professionals, however justified or deserved you think they might be.
Professional courtesy according to Wikipedia generally refers to a philosophy of particular professional behaviour or etiquette which is extended between members of the same profession. It is essentially about treating others the way you would like to be treated.
Here is an American Bar Association discussion on How Do You Define Professional Courtesy which has some interesting comments on the subject including Laying aside the moral imperative for the moment, it just makes good business sense and it doesn't matter which jurisdiction the lawyer is in as we are all in the same profession. It's the same attitude as should exist when we fight tooth and nail in a courtroom but engage in friendly conversation once we've stepped outside the courtroom.
This this certainly been my experience working on global contracts with lawyers around the world, and sometimes in very difficult circumstances where your clients are at loggerheads with each other. The ability to create and preserve a channel of communication between the legal and commercial specialists working on a deal can often be vital to preserve the relationship and to break serious deadlocks.
It means that you can, for example, have a private side conversation on a difficult topic away from the main negotiating room, where perhaps both sides are guilty of “show boating” their views rather than understanding the issues and seeking a solution.
Here is another example from a different profession, medicine, in the form of an article from the BMA Five top tips for professional courtesy which quotes a doctor speaking at a conference on this topic who said that said that civil relations among colleagues was vital to staff health and disrespectful and aggressive behaviour among doctors often had a significant impact on work environments, ranging from stress and distress to burnout, illness and then subsequent absenteeism, with wider impacts including declining workplace morale and increased staff turnover.
Behaving in a courteous manner in business relations also extends beyond the professions. Dale Carnegie’s Principle 1 in How to Win Friends and Influence People is Don’t criticise, condemn or complain. He counsels When dealing with people, let us remember we are not dealing with creatures of logic. We are dealing with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudices and motivated by pride and vanity. Don’t criticize.
I suggest this voice originally from the 1930’s is just as relevant, if not more, in these days of constant and instant communication where there is even more opportunity to be discourteous or even downright rude – perhaps not even intending to be. The abrupt email, text or IM sent in a hurry just seems often to come out that way in the eye of the receiver.
As Ralph Waldo Emerson the American 19th century American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, and poet said Life is short, but there is always time enough for courtesy.
In order to avoid this, it’s probably a good idea to have a rule not to do this under any circumstances and to respect professional courtesy and not make adverse comments about fellow professionals, however justified or deserved you think they might be.
Professional courtesy according to Wikipedia generally refers to a philosophy of particular professional behaviour or etiquette which is extended between members of the same profession. It is essentially about treating others the way you would like to be treated.
Here is an American Bar Association discussion on How Do You Define Professional Courtesy which has some interesting comments on the subject including Laying aside the moral imperative for the moment, it just makes good business sense and it doesn't matter which jurisdiction the lawyer is in as we are all in the same profession. It's the same attitude as should exist when we fight tooth and nail in a courtroom but engage in friendly conversation once we've stepped outside the courtroom.
This this certainly been my experience working on global contracts with lawyers around the world, and sometimes in very difficult circumstances where your clients are at loggerheads with each other. The ability to create and preserve a channel of communication between the legal and commercial specialists working on a deal can often be vital to preserve the relationship and to break serious deadlocks.
It means that you can, for example, have a private side conversation on a difficult topic away from the main negotiating room, where perhaps both sides are guilty of “show boating” their views rather than understanding the issues and seeking a solution.
Here is another example from a different profession, medicine, in the form of an article from the BMA Five top tips for professional courtesy which quotes a doctor speaking at a conference on this topic who said that said that civil relations among colleagues was vital to staff health and disrespectful and aggressive behaviour among doctors often had a significant impact on work environments, ranging from stress and distress to burnout, illness and then subsequent absenteeism, with wider impacts including declining workplace morale and increased staff turnover.
Behaving in a courteous manner in business relations also extends beyond the professions. Dale Carnegie’s Principle 1 in How to Win Friends and Influence People is Don’t criticise, condemn or complain. He counsels When dealing with people, let us remember we are not dealing with creatures of logic. We are dealing with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudices and motivated by pride and vanity. Don’t criticize.
I suggest this voice originally from the 1930’s is just as relevant, if not more, in these days of constant and instant communication where there is even more opportunity to be discourteous or even downright rude – perhaps not even intending to be. The abrupt email, text or IM sent in a hurry just seems often to come out that way in the eye of the receiver.
As Ralph Waldo Emerson the American 19th century American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, and poet said Life is short, but there is always time enough for courtesy.
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