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One thing that’s important to remember in any job
that you do is to treat your customer with respect.
As members of Hall Staff, our customers are the residents.
One of the best ways to respect our residents is to
demonstrate confidentiality. I’ve found that this
is an area the paraprofessional staff as well as the
professional staff can grow in.
Confidentiality
is important when you are trying to build trust with
your cluster, or your area. Think back to the last
time you told someone something in what you thought
was confidence. Now, only hours later you are faced
with that same statement you told in confidence, but
by someone you did not intend to talk with about it.
More likely than not, you were either disgusted or
furious. Possibly both. Now think back to the last
time you took a situation you dealt with, as a member
of Hall Staff, and you "told the tale" to
others. Maybe you know that it got back to the individual(s)
involved, maybe you don’t . . . the point is, they
were probably upset. They told their buddy down the
hall, he told someone . . . now your residents will
never come to you if and when they need help, for
fear of others knowing about their problem. It’s a
vicious cycle, and one that greatly reduces your effectiveness
as a leader in your residence hall.
So,
how do you demonstrate confidentiality? Do you wear
a sign that says, "I’m confidential?" No,
you really don’t have to do anything . . . in fact
that’s exactly what you have to do: nothing. All you
do is keep things to yourself, thinking of the people
involved before you "tell the tale." It
all goes back to the golden rule: Treat others as
you wish to be treated.
Thanks to Nick Bertram,
Staff Assistant in the Division of Student Life at
Eastern Kentucky University for writing this article.
If you would like to write an advice article for the
website and/or for a newsletter, please send me an
email! Contact Page
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