My momma raised me right. Please and thank you? Of course I say these things. We’re civilized people, right? We appreciate when someone does something for us and we respond the way we were taught as preschoolers. Or do we?
I find that I tend to thank those who work for me. Or perhaps more correctly, I say thank you for service I’m paying for; the waitress or the folks at the dry cleaning place for example. I even go out of my way to thank the cleaning ladies when they are here every other week. Yet here in the burbs, we never seem to thank the people who serve us in a volunteer capacity.
Who am I talking about? The list is long. It is the den mother at scouts, the Sunday School teacher at church, the PTA leaders at school, etc. And as much as it pains me, I’d throw the homeowners association board members into the mix. Yeah, I curse the HOA as much as the next guy, but these folks volunteered for the most thankless job in the burbs. Build up some brownie points and thank those guys. Maybe the pine straw police will overlook your weed-ridden flowerbeds next month!
We tend to take people in these roles for granted. They are always there, always serving us. In many cases we criticize them more than we thank them! If we’re not critical then we’re asking these folks to step up and do more. After all, no one else will! It is this kind of behavior that creates resentment and builds apathy in an organization.
So take a moment and offer up sincere thanks to those who serve you. Be genuine and be deliberate in your thanks. If you can’t do it in writing then go out of your way with a warm and sincere handshake.
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