Guy Kawasaki has a great post on the importance of treating people well in The Art of Sucking Down. I can relate to Guy's story because I was just in Beaver Creek, Colorado this weekend and was surprised by the number of self-important people walking around barking orders at those that were there to make their ski vacation special. It didn't matter whether it was the maid at the hotel, the ticket seller or the ski instructor they were invisible to many of the self-absorbed.
I'm not sure if the cause of these bad manners is the fact that Beaver Creek is a place were real estate is approaching $1000 per square foot, causing some who visit to feel that they are more important than others or that the lack of manners is a result of today's harried society, where people have tried to pack so much in that they literally have no time to be nice. It is a sad state of affairs.
The highlight of the weekend for me was taking the talking to the maids cleaning our hotel room in Spanish. When the maids realized that I could understand them and had the time to ask them a few questions in their native tongue their eyes lit up. At times, it's hard to take the time to engage people in a conversation yet, I find it is always worth the effort when you treat everyone well.
