Crikey

On Tuesday Crikey published an internal email from ABC Operations which outlined a wonderfully David Brent-esque program titled “Respectember”.

Today we received the latest dispatches from ABC management. According to an ABC insider “a lot of people are having a damn good laugh over this one”.

So enjoy. And remember to type unto others as you would have them type unto you:

From: Respectember 2009 [2009.Respectember@abc.net.au]
Sent: Tuesday, 1 September 2009 10:52 AM
To: Respectember 2009
Subject: Respectember

Hi and welcome to Respectember.

Respectwhat? Respectember. It’s a month long focus by the OPS group on … you guessed it … respect! It’ll be a chance for all of us to think, talk and act on the idea of respect  — what it means, why it’s important and what role we all play in making sure the ABC’s got it in spades. It’s also a chance for each of us to look how we behave towards those around us, to make sure we treat everyone in our workspace with respect, and to recognize that everyone deserves to be treated with respect regardless of who they are or how we feel about them.

Every working day in September you’ll receive an “idea” for the day that’ll give you one aspect of respect to ponder. Think of them as tiny thought experiments you can do at your desk. There’ll also be competitions with great prizes to be won and even yummy food to share.

Respect is defined as: esteem for, or a sense of the worth or excellence of, a person, a personal quality or ability. Respect can also manifest itself as an ethic or principle, such as “having respect for others”. At the ABC we define the Value of Respect as: “We treat our audiences and each other with consideration and dignity. We embrace diversity.” And that’s what we plan to do all Respectember long and well into the future.

You can follow Respectember on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Respectember

On facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=100000188414550&ref=profile

And by email: respectember.2009@abc.net.au

I look forward to hearing from you throughout the month,

Respectfully yours,

Aretha

…

From: Respectember 2009 [2009.Respectember@abc.net.au]
Sent: Wednesday, 2 September 2009 10:28 AM
To: Respectember 2009

Subject: Respectember 2nd

Hi there,

Today is day two of Respectember and I’m declaring it type unto others as you would have them type unto to you day. Today show your respect for each other by pausing and considering the tone and content of your emails before you send them.

Email is an amazing tool, but it’s also a slightly impersonal form of communication. The fact that we can’t see the person we’re talking to, or hear their voice, means that sometimes we say things in emails that we’d never say to a person’s face. Are your emails always polite and courteous? Do you sometimes say things in emails you’d never say in person? Not today you don’t!

Show respect for the person reading your emails by taking the time to make them polite. That means NO YELLING, no %&$*#^ abuse, no sarcasm (yeah whatever) and no being rude. This doesn’t mean we all have to hold hands and sing Kumbaya  — you can disagree and correct people if they are wrong but promise me that you will do it respectfully. Don’t use words or tone in an email that you wouldn’t use to the persons face. And try to be nice even if the other person isn’t. If you do find yourself writing something angry or emotion filled save it and then take another look at tomorrow before sending it.

For more info on email etiquette check out: http://www.101emailetiquettetips.com/index.html and have a fun, positive, email day.

Respectfully yours,

Aretha

Follow Aretha on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=100000188414550&ref=profile

Follow Aretha on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Respectember

…

From: Respectember 2009 [2009.Respectember@abc.net.au]
Sent: Thursday, 3 September 2009 10:29 AM
To: Respectember 2009
Subject: Respectember 3rd

Morning,

Welcome to day three of Respectember. Respectember is a month long focus on the value of Respect within the Operations Team at the ABC. It’s a chance for us all to think about respect  — what it means to us, what we can do to both show it and earn it. It’s all part of creating an environment inside the OT where people can do their best work.

Today we’d like to hear from you.

We’re asking the question “Who at work do you respect and why?” It can be someone in your immediate work area or someone from another part of the ABC that you admire. Tell us in 200 words or less who they are and why you respect them and you’ll go in the draw to win a $50 ABC shop voucher for both yourself and the person you nominate.

Email your entries to Respectember.2009@abc.net.au by stumps on Friday and you’ll go in the draw to win.

Have a great day,

Respectfully yours,

A

So the fun can continue beyond Respectember, First Dog on the Moon has a suggestion — get it on a T-shirt!