Most of my friends, relatives, and business associates find it interesting when we meet at a coffee shop and see the employee at the counter smiling, calling me by name, and even remembering the type and size of coffee that I ordered. I wish they knew that the same occurs and is replicated at home (with housekeepers, domestic workers, cleaners, gardeners, etc.), at the office (with co-workers, colleagues, etc.), and with everyone I meet, whether first time or regularly. The secret is simply using the magic word ‘please’ ahead of anything I ask for. Try this, make it a habit, and see the results before your own eyes. It costs nothing really yet makes a world of difference to you (as a manager, customer, or the like) so as to the worker, friend, or whoever you are asking for something, be it for a favor or a command/instruction per se.
On the other hand, I want you to look closely at the people that ask and request for things without the magic word ‘please’. You will notice they are at most of the time disliked, so they are not served with pleasure. In fact, the moment the worker, employee, and/or person being requested gets the chance to not be dependent on the requester (e.g., their boss), they will also disregard supporting or serving them too (let aside looking for an exit ultimately). I have seen this personally in many instances, and it has been complained about by many individuals. I know a worker who asked to leave a job and even lose money temporarily just because she felt unappreciated. Employees and workers that feel respected and valued are more engaged at their work. In fact, research from Harvard Business Review (HBR) reported that approximately 48% of employees are less likely to put extra effort into their tasks if they feel disrespected (and not valued). Not saying or using the word ‘Please’ doesn’t mean one is disrespected, yet it definitely doesn’t contribute to creating a healthy dialogue and indeed a healthy workplace culture.
I received a lot of feedback on my last week article that revolved around using the two-word “thank you,” which of course, as a result, leads to higher productivity, as well as creating a healthy and respectful culture as well. I realized that I missed coupling the words with a preceding magic word ‘Please’ and hence decided to share it in this article in order to emphasize the importance as well as the quality output one may achieve from using the same effectively. The process is quite simple: for anything you ask for, use the word “please," and once you get the answer or result, use the word “thank you.” Regardless of the outcome, just thank first and explain whether the answer is favorable or not (i.e., was what you really wanted). I do this with everyone, and the result is high respect and recognition, as noted in the beginning of my article this week.
Another thing you would notice from using the words regularly is that others would use the same towards you, so as you will influence people around you to use the same, creating an example and a healthy working culture around you. A collaborative, supportive, and caring environment is, most of the time, the result of using these words genuinely. Apart from respect, one would also create loyalty, quality relationships, and following too. Trust me, one would easily influence and impact others by utilizing the words genuinely and appropriately.
The importance of utilizing the words “please” and “thank you” in our daily communication is vital, for they truly transform our interactions profoundly, be it at a personal or professional setting and/or level. They may seem very simple or basic, but the kind of results and support that emanate from utilizing the same is titanic. Until we catch up again next week, make ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ a habit from now onwards, and see your life transform beautifully as well.
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