On the door of a sixth-grade English classroom where I served as the Middle School Principal was a sign that read: Please and Thank You Are Still Magic Words.
An important reminder for sixth graders.
Maybe even more so for leaders.
What if we preceded all professional requests with a please?
What if we always offered a thank you?
Consider the difference between these two emails.
Email One:
Dear So & So,
Come to my office to discuss next steps.
BJD
Email Two:
Dear So & So,
Please come to my office to discuss next steps. Thanks!
BJD
Such an easy gesture and yet too often as leaders we miss the opportunity to infuse civility into our communication. Come to think of it, if you’re a human like me, maybe we miss the mark at home too.
Please and thank you most certainly are still magic words. Magical because using them is just the right thing to do. But even more so for the incredible return on investment using please and thank you will provide your leadership impact. I triple-dog dare you to try it. After all, what’s the downside of using please and thank you?
So, for the benefit of all at work and in your home, please consider consistently and copiously using please and thank you.
Thank you!