Written by: Lauren Hirsch Williams, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
The Lost Art of Basic Common Sense in Business
Gracias, Merci, Danke, Bedankt, Спасибо – Have You Forgotten to say Teşekkürler?*
These may seem like foreign languages for many, but don’t forget the most important commandment in business (and life) – the THANK YOU! Changes in pop culture and business occur constantly, sometimes within minutes (thank you Internet). Within the span of 12 months, the entire world turned upside down due a pandemic, and businesses of all types and sizes altered forever. Every few years, it’s something new that causes our world to adjust and change. Sometimes for the best, sometimes not.
Although economies always rebound and select industries, such as healthcare, become more top-of-mind, the nature of business practices generally doesn’t revert once they’ve moved in and settled on a new direction. This confirms, over and over again, that many aspects of our work lives, such as office capacity, teleworking, manufacturing, and new timelines for execution of strategies, can – and will – shift. Perhaps, right before our eyes.
One thing, however, that should NEVER change is common sense and good manners in business (and life). This is paramount to success. And yet, it’s most often taken for granted. Despite continuing our workday with whatever tools and new processes we’re forced to adapt to, it should be noted that the number one method of ensuring business success is to employ good manners. Bar none.
Good manners in business can encompass a wide range of behaviors. It can include being a courteous, considerate person when networking, all the way to being inclusive of everyone in the room during a meeting. The spaces in-between are vast.
No matter how you choose to define good manners (versus bad manners), there is one act that is so fundamental that anyone who ignores it does so at their own peril. It’s the simplest behavior in existence.
It costs nothing.
It takes almost no time at all to exhibit, and it indicates that you’re a conscientious, worthy colleague, client, or employee.
What is it?
It’s Number One of my list of Common Sense Commandments™.
Thou shalt never forget to say thank you after an encounter. Any encounter.
You might be thinking “But, of course. That’s obvious”. Yet it’s amazing how often people forget it.
A ‘thank you’ can come in many forms that fit into current cultural norms. Perhaps it’s a text. A call. An email. A handwritten note. Maybe even a card sent through that old-fashioned (but remarkably effective) tool called the post office. Yes, with a stamp and all!
So, what happened to the simplest act of good manners – the Thank You note? It seems to have gone by the wayside for many. I thought I was astonished enough by “younger” generations and their differing approach to business. As we all get older, the ‘new’ way of doing things tends to present a sense of discomfort as much as we don’t like to admit it (it reminds us of exactly how we laughed at our parents and grandparents when they fussed about anything they thought was ‘newfangled’). Our parent’s generation suffered (and vocalized) their discomfort with changes, as do all generations.
But some things fall outside the scope of any generational beliefs, behaviors, or approaches to business and pop-culture. Common sense and courtesy stand the test of time and the foundations are set in stone. The delivery vehicles may be new but, at their core, they remain steadfast. The basics are the basics – communication, connection with humanity and appreciation for even the smallest of gestures.
When someone forgets the thank-you note/communication, it stands out – whether the person owing the appreciation notices it or not. If it’s absence is not consciously noticed by the receiver during an appropriate amount of delivery time, it most definitely is noticed subconsciously. The receiver of this simple form of gratitude has an internal memory gear that’s now slightly off its mark. When asked, they may not be able to pinpoint the reason for their altered impression of someone, but trust me, if a “thank you” was forgotten, so is the person owing it.
Even worse, it can cause an imbalance in opportunities. As an example, if a discourteous person (one who didn’t say thank you) is up for a job, or project, or investment, and they’re up against someone who DID remember to immediately express thankfulness, that misstep will be front and center. It never ceases to amaze me when I interview someone for a position to work on my business and see that their basic business common sense skills are void of this two-word mountain of importance. I almost always hold back on making my final assessment of someone until I see how they react immediately after our conversation.
I’ll wait a day to see if a thank-you email, or text, arrives. When it doesn’t, I know I can’t count on that person for anything related to details or common sense… or even logic. I also know they are so distracted that I’ll ultimately have to deal with that distraction myself. It may be hard to fathom, but distraction plays a large part in diminished common sense and civility. Don’t let that happen to you.
If I’m hiring someone, it’s to expand my business, increase productivity and speed up results. If I have to take on their burdens, it prevents business evolution. If I’m seeking approvals or agreements or investments, you better believe I deliver every single ‘thank you’ that’s deserved. I may not always accomplish my goal, but I’ll make sure my behavior ensures my ability to knock on their door again… knowing they’ll open it.
Our world is spinning and racing so fast that most of us barely have time to catch our breath. However, if we don’t stop and reassess that the most basic of good business behaviors are still in place, we lose. It’s time to evaluate how often you say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ on a daily basis and if you aren’t doing it at least 5 times each and every day, you’re letting yourself go… and not in a good way.
Take the time each day to remember who you thanked. If you can’t think of anyone, stop everything you’re doing and find someone to thank. This is NOT “woo-woo”, feel good, new-age therapy talk. This is direct, critical, business talk. People notice. They may brush off a thank-you quickly, as if it’s not being given a second thought, but if you forget your common sense and manners, it will absolutely be given a third, fourth, and fifth thought. And those are not thoughts that help move you forward and advance your goals and dreams.
Thank you for your time and your attention (and I mean it too!)
*Thank You: Spanish: Gracias French: Merci German: Danke Dutch: Bedankt Russian: Спасибо Turkish: Teşekkürler
Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info!
Lauren Hirsch Williams, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Lauren Hirsch Williams is a Business Relevance Strategist, Pitch Stylist, International Bestselling Author, and Award-Winning Screenwriter. With decades of experience, which includes Worldwide Director of Advertising at PepsiCo, Founder of MovieHatch, and Creator of the new MyTurn TV Network for empowering women, she’s been on all sides of the “table”. She teaches others to find their inner strength by using their senses in an uncommon way. Her recent bestseller, ONE SENSE AHEAD, explains the protocol to start that process.
