Word-Of-the-Week #1047: Regard
August 29, 2024 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word-Of-the-Week #1047: Regard
Regard – having qualities that bring about a favorable regard: pleasant, agreeable.
Do you know people who think they are smarter and better than everyone? Are you considerate and respectful of others in your life?
This week is the 2nd half from Bill Marvin, The Restaurant Doctor who shared “10 Things Incredibly Likable People Never, Ever Do (and Why You Love Them for It)” What you do can make you extremely likable. So can what you choose not to do, by Jeff Haden from Inc.
To Recap: Some people are incredibly likable because of the things they do. Some people are incredibly charismatic because of the things they do.
And some people are incredibly likable because of the things they don’t do.
If you know someone who possesses the following qualities, share this with them—and also tell them how much you appreciate the fact they are in your life.
- They don’t blame.
- They don’t control.
- They don’t try to impress.
- They don’t cling.
- They don’t interrupt.
- They don’t whine.
Your words have power, especially over you. Whining about your problems makes you feel worse, not better.
If something is wrong, don’t waste time complaining. Put that effort into making the situation better. Unless you want to whine about it forever, eventually you’ll have to do that. So why waste time? Fix it now.
Don’t talk about what’s wrong. Talk about how you’ll make things better, even if that conversation is only with yourself.
And do the same with your friends or colleagues. Don’t be just the shoulder they cry on.
Friends don’t let friends whine. Friends help friends make their lives better.
- They don’t criticize.
Yeah, you’re more educated. Yeah, you’re more experienced. Yeah, you’ve been around more blocks and climbed more mountains and slayed more dragons.
That doesn’t make you smarter, or better, or more insightful.
That just makes you you: unique, matchless, one of a kind—but in the end, just you.
Just like everyone else.
Everyone is different: not better, not worse, just different. Appreciate the differences instead of the shortcomings and you’ll see people—and yourself—in a better light.
- They don’t preach.
The higher you rise and the more you accomplish, the more likely you are to think you know everything and to tell people everything you think you know.
When you speak with more finality than foundation, people may hear you but they don’t listen.
And they don’t want to be around you.
- They don’t live in the past.
The past is valuable. Learn from your mistakes. Learn from the mistakes of others.
Then let it go.
Easier said than done? (Even Troy Aikman struggles with this, but in a really good way.) It depends on your focus. When something bad happens to you, see that as a chance to learn something you didn’t know. When another person makes a mistake, see that as an opportunity to be kind, forgiving, and understanding.
The past is just training; it doesn’t define you. Think about what went wrong, but only in terms of how you will make sure that, next time, you and the people around you will know how to make sure it goes right.
- They don’t let fear hold them back.
We’re all afraid, of what might or might not happen, of what we can’t change, or what we won’t be able to do, or how other people might perceive us.
So it’s easier to hesitate, to wait for the right moment, to decide we need to think a little longer or do some more research or explore a few more alternatives.
Meanwhile days, weeks, months, and even years pass us by.
And so do our dreams.
Don’t let your fears hold you back. Whatever you’ve been planning, whatever you’ve imagined, whatever you’ve dreamed of, get started on it today.
If you want to start a business, take the first step. If you want to change careers, take the first step. If you want to expand or enter a new market or offer new products or services, take the first step.
Put your fears aside and get started. Do something. Do anything.
Otherwise, today is gone. Once tomorrow comes, today is lost forever.
Today is the most precious asset you own—and is the one thing you should truly fear … wasting.
This week’s focus is regard. Are you able to fix things quickly if something goes wrong? If someone makes a mistake, can you see that as an opportunity to be kind, forgiving, and understanding? Are you ready to let go of fears and get your plans and dreams started today?
I LOVE feedback! Join my Facebook community on my FUN-damentals Fan Page.
WOW Word-Of-the-Week #392: Regard
February 6, 2012 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on WOW Word-Of-the-Week #392: Regard
Regard – consideration and respect for a person.
Do you feel you treat the people in your personal and professional life with consideration and respect? Do you feel that you are treated with consideration and respect by your customers, guests, clients, members, co-workers, bosses, or employees? How about your family and friends?
This is the third in the series of WOW’s from my book, “The FUN-Damental Secrets of Service: How to have FUN and make your 
customers feel good about spending their money!” The R in SERvice stands for Regard. I believe in the Golden Rule. “Do unto others as though you are the others.” If you want to be treated with high regard then you need to treat the people around you with consideration and respect. Every person that you come in contact with deserves to be treated with high regard.
Your customers, guests, clients, or members are not just “another transaction.” They are human beings with wants and needs – the same as you. They want and deserve to be treated the same way you do when you’re a customer, and that is with courtesy, dignity, politeness, and respect.
By the same token, you must hold yourself and your job in high regard too. You’re not just filling up time and space, but you are helping people make their lives better, no matter what you do. Each thing you do has value and is worth something.
NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO: when you serve people, you are affecting their lives. Look at your customers, guests, clients, or members as part of your extended family. Which brings me to;
FUN-damental Service Secret #3
“It’s Not a Customer; It’s a Guest!
It’s Not Your Business; It’s Your Home!”
This week focus on how you much regard you hold for the people in your life. Could you treat your customers, guests, clients, or members with more consideration and respect? How would it feel to treat everyone like guests in your home instead of strangers in your business? How does it feel when you are treated with consideration and respect as a customer?
Reader Responses
“I absolutely love this and try to stress it in our office. Thank you so much for sharing it – I have printed it out and taped to my monitor!“ – Mary
“Great word. I have to admit that when I first saw the word it reminded me of a “Seinfeld” episode. One woman was having a conversation with Elaine when the subject of George Costanza came up. The woman told Elaine to “send her regards” to George. Elaine told George that the woman said “hi.” When George called the woman, she agreed to meet him. George, thinking it was a date, was obviously excited to see the woman, whom he had been interested in the past. While driving, the woman asked George if he considered their meeting a date. George said that he had, because of what Elaine had told him. The woman said, “George, I never told Elaine to say hi to you. I told her to send my regards.” I guess that is not the same thing as saying hi. In any event, I liked what you said about the Golden Rule. Treat others as if you were the others. Not enough of us do that on a regular basis. When I am at work, I treat my co-workers and bosses with dignity and respect. I try to listen to everything they ask and request during the day. I give them the benefit of the doubt. While it certainly has a lot to do with the fact that I like the people I work with and for, I like to be treated as well. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I make it a point to remember the birthdays, anniversaries and special events in the lives of family and friends, with cards and/or phone calls. Whether I receive them in return does not matter, because it is important to me to do that every year. While it would be nice to have it acknowledged, I do it because I WANT TO; not because I will get that acknowledgement. It helps me to get out of myself. Besides, we don’t do enough writing of letters, cards and thank you notes in our society today. I regard all of them as special. My younger brother has six children. On a regular basis I would send birthday cards, congratulatory cards and other remembrances to them. My brother told me not to send the cards anymore because his kids and his ex-wife would throw the cards in the garbage without opening them. They figured since I did not put money in the envelopes there was no point in opening the cards. So, I did not send cards to his kids anymore. I was tempted once to put money or a gift card in one of the envelopes, and then call to ask if they received it. But, I decided not to. I guess these are the times we live in, Susan. But it is important to still treat others with respect, whether others do it or not. WE have to show the example. Whether others follow it or not is up to them.” – “Warrior” Joe