HAVE WE FORGOTTEN HOW TO SAY THANK YOU?

When I was growing up, I was constantly reminded of my manners. Always say "Please" and "Thank you".

As a child this was vital if I ever wanted something....which was always! I soon came to realise however that you get so much more from people by showing them good manners and being gracious.

My dad taught me a number of things as a child. Primarily, he taught me that everybody is equal and should be treated the same. So, when I accompanied him to work, notwithstanding that he was in a very senior management position, he always made a point of saying hello to the people he met, whether that be the cleaner, the caretaker, the security personnel, or the CEO. And he always made a point of stopping to say thank you for the work that people did. It was noticeable to me even then that everybody, and I mean everybody knew him by his first name and everybody felt comfortable to use it.

Which brings me to the point of this post. Are we so busy in our working lives that we have forgotten our basic manners? How often do we say "Thank you" to our colleagues, and more importantly, say it with meaning? It doesn't take long, but believe me it goes a long way to making that person feel appreciated.

The other day, following the end of a successful event we had organised for external clients, I made a point in the evening when I got home of constructing a personal email to a secretary to thank her for the efforts she had put in to making the event run so smoothly (yes, I know it is better to say these things to people face-to-face but on this occasion I wanted to make sure the right words were used). I took my time with the note as it was heartfelt and I really was very grateful as this lady had not only got up at the crack of dawn to ensure that everything was organised but had also stayed at the event the whole day to be on hand in case anything was needed and to make sure everything went smoothly. My simple note read as follows:

"The effort you put in to make [the event] a success was simply awesome. I cannot thank you enough for helping us all to feel comfortable and calm at what is a quite stressing experience (well for some of us...). Thank you so much!

In the car on the way back, [we] all agreed how fab you have been and how much effort you made to ensure everything ran smoothly"

The effect such a simple note had on my colleague was amazing. She was really happy that she had done a good job and had been recognised for this. Her emailed response back said it all:

"Thank you so much for the email - it really does mean a lot to me and I am so happy that everything ran smoothly. Really appreciate your comments - thank you!"

Which made me realise that I simply don't thank the people around me enough or take the time to recognise their contribution to the success we achieve.

Employee engagement is a funny thing. It changes with the generations and you probably won't get a consistent answer from those in the HR profession as to the secret to keeping employees engaged. It used to be about job security or job loyalty. Mostly, it was about money. Nowadays, it might be about variety and challenge. Flexible working even. Advancement.

However, from my perspective, keeping employees engaged is sometimes down to the simple things we do. Like thanking people for the work that they do. Appreciating the effort. Acknowledging that someone has done well or helped you when you needed it most. Occasional recognition that you are there and mean something. Whenever a client or a colleague takes the time out to thank me for the work I have done for them, it gives me a real lift. It makes me feel positive about the work I am doing and spurs me on. It motivates me and makes me feel happy. It makes me want to continue to do my best for that person.

Of course, I still carry out work for those that don't say thank you. I still extend to them the same manners I was taught so carefully as a child. However, do I remember them? Do I respect them? Probably, but not as well as I remember or respect the person that takes time to say two little, but underused words.

Thanking employees and colleagues will not guarantee that they stay with you for life, but used properly and genuinely, it will go a long way to ensuring that your colleagues and employees feel respected, and more to the point, they are likely to do far more for you because they know that their effort does not go unnoticed.

If you do anything today, remember at least to stop and say thank you, and more importantly, to mean it.

Alex Payton, Director and Employment Lawyer, Howes Percivcal LLP