I’ve been listening to a great podcast recently. And I can totally relate to it.
It’s Fake doctors. Real friends. the podcast by Zac Braff and Donald Faison, JD and Turk of Scrubs, just being themselves and reminiscing of making the series, the behind the scenes fun they had and the lifelong friendships that formed at the time. I have recommended it to everyone – it’s an absolute hoot and has powered me through a few long days. I WANT TO BE THESE GUYS FRIEND 🙂
Not only is it a hilarious listen, the banter has made me laugh out loud – but why do I feel like I can relate? I was listening to an episode and a guest star was Dr Cox (I’m just going to refer to everyone as their character names…) and he said that there was a policy, called the “No Arsehole Policy” and he declared just how powerful a policy it was. It was about respecting those around you and doing a good job, and if you failed in this policy – you were out. He’s since applied said policy to other projects he’s worked on – to great success.
So why can I relate?
I was thinking about this policy and essentially I too have a similar one. I surround myself with clients I want to work with. I have developed relationships with my clients that mean they come back to me, and those that move on to other jobs, employers and projects take me with them. That to me is a sign that a) I’m not an a******e and b) because I want to work with them again – neither are they. Admittedly I have turned down a few opportunities in the past, and some of them have been because I didn’t want to work with someone again. There are often other reasons too, but a good working relationship goes a long way. A thank you goes a long way, positivity goes a long way and to not feel used, abused, patronised and undervalued goes a long way.
The workplace is a two way street. It shouldn’t be the fact that I can choose who I work with and have the option to turn people down. It should just be the done thing to respect those you work with, those you hang out with, those who serve you in a restaurant, pub, supermarket and hospital. There should be an unwritten No A-hole policy in life, and at what point did it become ok to not respect those around us?
I am always open to an opportunity, but as soon as I feel that I don’t want to work with someone again, I do turn them away with a polite thanks, but no thanks. I don’t have to take any nonsense, and be made to feel small. I bring the best that I can to the table, be it in both my hard and soft skills, and in return I expect the same. And to be honest, I don’t think it’s a lot to ask. Not just for me, but for everybody.
On that note, I’ll get off my high horse. I do recommend you listen to the podcast though, and feel free to thank me later 😉