Respect, a basic need!

I picked up the book “The Prodigal Daughter” again for the 8^th time to read. I simply love that book. I came across a paragraph which I found moving. It is about how even children identify with humour and love being treated respectfully and like adults.

The father in the novel, Abel, employees Miss Tredgold as governess for his daughter. I am copying the entire text below to give you a reference.

Florentyna was nowhere to be seen. Two eyes peered suspiciously up from under the bed. Miss Tredgold spotted the girl first and fell on her knees.

“I am afraid I won’t be able to help you very much if you remain there, child. I’m far too big to live under the bed.”

Florentyna burst out laughing and crawled out.

“What a funny voice you have,” she said “where do you come from?”

“England,” said Miss Tredgold, taking a seat beside her on the bed.

“Where’s that? “

“About a week away.”

“Yes but how far?”

That would depend on how you travelled during the week. How many ways could I have travelled such a long distance? Can you think of three?

Florentyna concentrated. “From my house ...

Neither noticed that everyone had left the room.

I have tried the same with both my children and it has had an instant effect. From tantrum throwing monsters they transform into human children. They go beyond the call of duty to help me and make themselves useful. The reason is simple; I made them laugh and spoke to them like equals. I gave RESPECT and got much more in return.

In my “corporate” working life, I have seen and experienced multiple examples where respect is missing in the transactions. A subordinate may know less than the boss about work but there would be 100 other experiences in life that may make him more experienced.

The need for respect is so basic that you can almost count it amongst the basic needs of a human being, along with food, cloth and shelter. Someone once said, “Treat others the way you would like to be treated”. This statement holds good at work and home, with children and adults. Try it!

This piece is contributed by Deepa Satish. The first point of contact when you call Navgati, an energetic, personalised, clear voice - that’s Deepa, the livewire of the Navgati team. She loves to be out there and make things happen! Talk to her to know about Navgati and you’ll feel the energy rubbing off.

She is an engineer from Ramaiah College, Bangalore and an MBA from Army Institute of Management, Calcutta. She has been in sales and business development with Naukri.com, UXL technologies and Media2Win before joining Navgati. Organised, dependable, a bit of a carpenter, a bit of a photographer, ever enthusiastic, and mad about dogs – that pretty much sums up one of Navgati’s most talented ladies.