Courtesy is the act of being polite. To us Christians, it means more than that. It means charity which is based on respect for other people.  Because we love and respect people, we apply courtesy. Courtesy is reflected in details with the arbitral smile, personal neatness etc. Without charity, courtesy makes no sense.

Referencing the Opusdei.org page,” Polite manners provide something essential for living in society, teaching us to be human and civil with others. Courtesy, cordiality, politeness are “little sisters” of other and greater virtues. But their particular features reside in the fact that without them our interactions with others would become unpleasant. Moreover, a coarse and discourteous person could hardly live up to the requirements of charity.”

 Courteous persons are seen as people who are gentle, respectful and courtly mannered. They have good mannerism and would always say “please” when they want something to be done for them, they will say” thank you” when the job is done and they will say “excuse me” when they bump into someone or want something out of the way.

 We witness bad behavior mostly in the work place where people feel that being courteous does not really matter, they feel that a workplace is a public place and that one should not really be courteous every time. To them what matters is your performance and deliverables but l disagree with that opinion. I personally believe that one should be good mannered and polite everywhere, at home, in the market place, in public and also in the workplace.

 I agree that sometimes, people don’t intend to be rude or discourteous but are caught in that act while trying to be efficient and thus forget to be polite. If you ask me courtesy and respect towards colleagues and others should be a standard behaviours in every workplace irrespective of the position, role or even the circumstances. In fact, it should be one of the core values of every organization, it is all about etiquette.  Being cordial enough to greet people when you enter an office no matter your status or rank in the office. Saying “hello “when you meet someone in the elevator, saying ‘good bye” when leaving the office and also saying “good night” when you are retiring to bed in your home.

 Being cordial enough to hold doors for people when going through an entrance, saying “sorry” when we realise that we have made a mistake either consciously or unconsciously or out of tiredness or absent – mindedness. Also trying to respect people’s privacy, l mean, their space by not barging into their offices or homes without knocking on the door and waiting to be asked to come in.

 Being courteous also requires one not to interrupt a speaker while at meetings or in a conference. Always wait for question time or indicate your intention to speak by raising your hand and waiting to be called to speak. These are little things that people over look, which are signs of bad mannerism and can be seen as being disrespectful.

 In the first paragraph, l mentioned personal neatness as part of being courteous, yes, being untidy and unkept can send a wrong message that you don’t really care about how you look or how your look affects the image of your organization. Don’t forget that you are an ambassador of your organization hence your appearance goes a long way in branding your profession and your organization in the eyes of the world. Let us be mindful of that and also remember that being polite or courteous or neat or well behaved or well mannered is synonymous to being charitable.

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Beatrice Egbuna is an experienced Broadcast Technologist with a strong background in managing broadcast equipment and sound technology. She has played a leading role in building and installing various radio studios, as well as maintaining and repairing both analogue and digital equipment at Voice of Nigeria (VON) studios. Egbuna holds a degree in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and the Lagos State University (LASU), and has received training in Audio Engineering from the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom. She also holds certificates in Senior Management Programmes from the Lagos Business School (LBS) and the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), as well as a certificate in Entrepreneurial Management from the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of the Pan-Atlantic University (PAU). Prior to joining EDC in 2011, Beatrice worked in various capacities at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and VON before retiring in 2010 as Deputy Director Programming. She has also worked as a Consultant/Mentor on projects like "Road-to-Growth" powered by Cherie Blair Foundation and Access Bank Plc. Egbuna produced and presented "Enterprise Stories", a live radio program on Inspiration 92.3 FM, which brings entrepreneurs together every Tuesday at 3 pm to share their success stories and inspire startup developers to follow their dreams. She also produced "The Economy and You," a program that aired for about four years on Rhythm 93.7 FM, which brought policymakers, technocrats and successful business executives to discuss government policies and their impact on the economy and businesses in Nigeria. Currently, Beatrice Egbuna is the Principal Consultant at Maluwe Capacity Builders International, Nigeria, where she provides real-time feedback and actionable advice that adds value to her clients. She is also a mentor and faculty member at the Enterprise Development Centre of the Pan-Atlantic University, and a BDSP Consultant on the 5-year (20??-20??) MASTERCARD TRANSFORMING NIGERIA YOUTH PROJECT (TNY). Egbuna is passionate about developing the entrepreneurship ecosystem, providing business support and advisory services to entrepreneurs within and outside the EDC business network for over a decade. She is a certified IFC/LPI Trainer, certified SMEDAN Business Development Service Provider (BDSP), life coach, work-life balance advocate/coordinator, and marriage counsellor who helps employees/career/business people find fulfilment in the workplace, balance in their daily activities, and solutions to their marital challenges. To reach Beatrice Egbuna she can be contacted through her email addresses: bettyegbuna@yahoo.com and maluwehelp@gmail.com. She also has a website, https://momentwithbetty.com.

6 Comments

  • Matthew Ngwu, August 9, 2022 @ 6:07 pm Reply

    Well written article. Courtesy is one of those social commandments. It respects others and their rights.

    • Betty, August 17, 2022 @ 3:34 pm Reply

      Thanks Matthew for your comment.

    • Betty, September 21, 2022 @ 2:58 pm Reply

      Yes, Courtesy is about respecting others and exbiting good mannerism which translates into happiness andf good living.

  • Derek Ngwu, August 10, 2022 @ 11:18 am Reply

    Courtesy has an unique combination from the fruits of the spirit. Gentleness, joy, love, peace, etc. Great article. Thanks Aunty.

    • Betty, August 17, 2022 @ 3:33 pm Reply

      Yes Derek, l agree with you completely. Thanks for your contribution

    • Betty, September 21, 2022 @ 2:59 pm Reply

      Thank you my dear nephew. Your constant visit to my website also inspires me to write more.

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