Anchor of Inside Edition, the nation’s top-rated and longest running syndicated TV magazine
Two-time Emmy Award winner
Formerly
the co-anchor of NBC’s Today
Also anchored for WMAQ-TV in Chicago, NBC News, CBS News,
and MSNBC
Hosted a national radio show for ABC Radio
Recently introduced line of fine knitting and crochet yarns
Education: Graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Univ. of Georgia
Married,
three children
GUEST
Deborah Norville on The Power of Respect
CBN.com
– Deborah Norville’s latest research topic is respect, which she says is a lost value in our world today. She chose this as the subject of her new book because of the frustration she felt looking at some of today’s news headlines, like high profile divorces and cyber bullying. Deborah says many of these situations could have been prevented if people considered others’ feelings or viewpoints.
The media can reinforce disrespect: bad behavior gets rewarded, talk radio hosts yell, and mostly bad things are being reported. Also, new forms of media, like Twitter and Facebook, can make society more narcissistic.
In her four years of researching respect, she found solid evidence that “respect is an ‘other-focused’ emotion that would yield benefits to an individual who endeavors to treat others with respect.”
Most people want to feel like their opinions matter, and most people don’t want to be ignored. Deborah also says most people want to feel like they are contributing positively in some way, and that all of us want to be recognized for our contributions.
Being respectful starts with being mindful of others, by stopping and thinking about what things might look like from their perspective, but most of us don’t go that far in being respectful.
RESPECT DEFINED
Deborah defines respect as “acknowledging the value and uniqueness of others and being mindful of their feelings, trying to put myself in their position.” Specifics of being mindful of others’ feelings vary by individual.
The first step of respect is acknowledging the existence of another person. It is important to find something good in every person and know that every individual has worth and value. As a result, every person should be treated well. When an individual is treated in a respectful manner, he or she is made better and it enhances them.
Then, you are enhanced as a result. When you treat people nicely, it comes back to you like a boomerang effect. She also says, “Do not be nice because you want people to be nice. Be nice because you’re a nice person – be the character that you want to be.”
The power of respect does not mean that you are a doormat, which means you are disrespecting yourself.
Respect is not always a monumental thing; it can be shown in small ways. For example, at home it can be a child thanking his or her mother for a delicious meal. At work, it can be one co-worker praising another for his or her hard work. Deborah says respect is certainly saying “thank you.”
TANGIBLE BENEFITS OF RESPECT
In her research, Deborah found showing respect has positive results: In business, showing the proper respect can save about $64 billion dollars by not having to replace professionals and managers who quit because of perceived unfairness. Also, workers have been found to be more creative and enthusiastic about their jobs. In marriage, respect has repaired troubled marriages by helping couples see past their differences and appreciate each other. In school, teachers in schools where respect is the standard have reclaimed 17 days of teaching time, time that had previously been wasted by writing discipline reports and sending kids to the principal’s office.
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