Golden Rule at Work

Treat colleagues the way you want to be treated - in email tone, credit, deadlines, and hallway gossip.

Key Concept

• It is active, not passive: do the helpful thing, do not only avoid harm.
• The check is experiential - how would you want feedback delivered, how would you want to be included, how would you want a mistake handled?
• Gospel depth lives in The Golden Rule; this is the version used before hitting send.
• Listen Before Fixing and Follow Their Lead apply the rule when roles flip.
• Love Your Enemies is the harder edge when the colleague is not an ally.

Level 1 - Recognize

Golden rule at work means doing the helpful thing you would want done - active, not passive avoidance of harm.

Level 2 - Explain

Like holding a door you would want held - step in on the tedious task, not just stay out of the way.

Level 3 - Use

Ask what you would want if roles flipped - then do that helpful move instead of only keeping your head down.

Level 4 - Connect

Passive fairness leaves people stuck - because you would want someone to act for you, the rule pushes you to act.

Level 5 - Create

Create a team norm for feedback, credit, and tedious work by writing the treatment you would want when roles reverse.

Examples

• My draft to the new team manager was needlessly harsh - glad I paused and rewrote it how I would want correction on my worst day.
• The group chat piled on the neighbor's messy yard - I asked how I would want feedback if my lawn looked that way, then stayed quiet.

Note Relationships