You all know that all publi officers are expected to carry themselves in the most professional manner possible in the course of their duties. Do you know that it is wrong to treat your colleagues in a disrespectful manner just because you have differences of opinion or because you do not get along?

It is unethical and unprofessional to act or speak to colleagues haphazardly in the course of
carrying out your duties. You are duty bound to treat everyone in the workplace with the highest levels of respect and decorum as you engage with them. Quite frankly, it is very easy to be cordial with customers because they come and go. Indeed, it is much more difficult to act
cordially with a colleague who has rubbed you the wrong way. As professionals, it is our duty to respect one another in the workplace as we engage with one another. This means that despite our personal differences, we must do our best to act and work professionally when in the workplace.

You do not have to like everyone to work with them but you must act within the boundaries of professionalism and good manners as you engage with your colleagues. Some people simply do not get along with one another. The reasons for this may be trivial but the results can be devastating. We all spend eight or more hours each day in the workplace. We carry our hopes, fears, dreams, frustrations and emotions all day as we go about our day in the workplace. This means that it is in the workplace that we live most of our live.
Our relationships with one another are a lot like bank transactions. You cannot withdraw what you have not put in first. The first step towards acting professionally is becoming aware of our emotional state each moment of the day. It entails knowing what we are
feeling and using the feelings as a guide for actions. In addition, it means making decisions based on well-defined personal and professional values.

Secondly, we must learn to manage ourselves so that we do not fall apart under stress or say things that we will regret later. It means being in control of our thoughts, words and actions and not acting emotionally. Remember, words, once spoken, cannot be taken back.
The third step is becoming aware of what is going on with our colleagues. We must develop the ability to detect and correctly interpret the emotional state of our colleagues so as to act appropriately. This is another aspect of emotional intelligence. It means being able to hear the unspoken emotions and words and responding intelligently to them. This means developing empathy for others. Finally, we must connect with one another and create networks that promote one another professionally.

The challenges you experience are the stepping stones for personal development. You do not choose what happens to you at the workplace but you can always choose how you will respond professionally.