Courtesy as Currency

Ah, my portable office.  It's a nice day in Newnan, and more importantly outside of Barnes & Noble in Ashley Park, while I sip my morning coffee in between appointments.  I really should do this more, especially now that the weather is a bit cooler than the dog days we had in July.  I came from Troup County State Court this morning to work out a plea agreement for a client before jetting off to a meeting with the other members of the Newnan-County Bar committee.  So I am spending my time before the meeting by taking in some fresh air.  But I digress.

The reason for this post is to emphasize the importance of courtesy.  Having just come from a court that I do not visit often, it could easily have been difficult to accomplish what I wanted.  Just in an hour, I made contact with the solicitor, her assistant solicitor, a fellow criminal defense attorney, the judge's personal clerk, the judge, a bailiff, and the public defender.  Without getting into why I had to speak with each person, let me just say that I needed all of them to help things go smoothly for me and my client.  Being courteous to each of these people, telling a joke, asking about the weekend, ensured that we conducted our business quickly and without event.

Now I would love to tell you that each of us has the ability to make things happen on our own, but that's just not true.  The fact is that, even the movers and shakers of our society rely to some degree on the assistance of others.  For some, it may be getting a question answered at the DMV without being told you were in the wrong line.  You may need the door opened for you when your hands are full of bags and baby.  Perhaps your variance application is nestled between piles of paperwork and you need someone to take a quick look.  In any event, someone will need to help you, and help doesn't usually come to those who demand it.  Those that build rapport with others and are polite, however, tend to catch an extra break or two.  

Help is not the only time that courtesy has value.  In my profession, I am constantly collaborating with fellow lawyers, experts, witnesses, and support staff.  Sure the work might get done if I am rude, but will it be better?  Faster?  Maybe not.  Worst, though, is that chances are good no one will want to work with you a second time.  In the end, this of course is detrimental to you in some way.  Even within my firm, courtesy begets courtesy, and I tend to get things done quicker with my people (and with a smile) because I am polite.  And besides, it is way easier to ask for extra hard work after having just asked about your secretary's dog than having just issued a clear "no personal issues" mandate.  We aren't' grizzly bears, so why act like one?

Bear in mind, being courteous is not being a door mat.  No one expects you to sacrifice yourself everyday just to be a nice guy.  And no one really wants to tell you about their family history.  I am also not advocating that you take your assistant out for tea once per week and ask about her boyfriend.  All I am saying is that a smile goes a long way.  Not everyone will like you, and you shouldn't try to please them all.  But for goodness sake, we could all use an extra friend, right?

Just think about it.

JD

John D. Duncan is president of J.D. Duncan, PC, founding partner of Prater, Duncan & Craig, LLC in Newnan, Georgia, and is Esquire by Day.  You can find him at www.jdduncanlaw.com, or follow him on twitter and Facebook.