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Nov30
"Thank You" -- Two Words Intepersonally Competent People Use Often

Craig Wilson is a columnist for USA Today.  He writes a column called The Final Word.  I always enjoy his writing.

Last week, he wrote a column called Only Losers Lack the Manners to Thank the Finder.  In the column, Mr. Wilson told several stories about finding things – credit cards, cell phones, driver licenses – and how ungracious some people are when he returns them.

Mr. Wilson says “there have been hundreds of stories written about how manners are a thing of the past, how no one says ‘thank you’ anymore…In this age of e-mail and cell phones, there’s really no excuse… A new book, To the Mannner Born: A Most Proper Guide to Modern Civility, says that an e-mail thank you is now acceptable.”

Good for you, Mr. Wilson.  I agree.  Thank you notes are increasingly rare these days – and shame on us.  Saying “thank you” is the most important courtesy of all.  All interpersonally competent people thank others who have done them a kindness – taken them to dinner or lunch, introduced them to a business contact, returned something they lost, gave them some good advice, whatever.

Next to their name, the words “thank you” are the words people most like to hear. 

The common sense point here – thank people for the things they do for you.  As Mr. Wilson points out, e mail is OK.  But I still prefer handwritten notes.  Handwritten notes are so uncommon these days that they get people’s attention.  I don’t know about you, but handwritten notes are the first thing I open when I get my mail.  They just look different – and that captures my attention.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for reading.  Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com for more common sense.  Check out my other blog: www.CommonSenseGuy.com for common sense advice on leading people and running a small business.

I’ll see you around the web, and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Bud

PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand – my fundraising page is still open.  Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.

 

Nov29
Communicate in Clear, Concise, Precise and Easy to Understand Language
Today is Thursday, so this post is on communication skills.The best communication, written or oral, is clear, concise, precise and easily understood.  However, all too often business communication is anything but clear, concise and easily understood.  Today, I’d like to... Continue Reading
Nov28
Plan, Do, Check, Act to Improve Your Performance
Today is Wednesday, so this post is on outstanding performance.Continuous improvement is a hallmark of all high performing individuals, teams and organizations.  In this post, I want to show you how you can use a well known process – Plan,... Continue Reading
Be Intentionally Kind
Today is Tuesday, so this post is on positive personal impact.  I subscribe to Kevin Eikenberry’s Power Quotes Plus.  Five days a week, I get an inspiring quote delivered to my inbox.  Often, I find that these quotes have uncanny... Continue Reading
Nov27
How Selling christmas Cards Helped Build My Self Confidence
Today is Monday, so this post is on self confidence.Over the weekend, Cathy began writing Christmas cards.  Last night, as I looked at the cards on the table waiting to be addressed and sent, I flashed back to my days... Continue Reading
Nov23
Cell Phone Etiquette
Today is Friday, so this post is on interpersonal competence.Interpersonally competent people are polite.  Lately, I’ve found that cell phones create many of the impolite moments we experience in our daily lives.  For some reason, it seems that many people... Continue Reading
Nov22
Making the Most of Voice Mail
Today is Thursday, (Happy Thanksgiving) so this post is on communication skills.  Here is some more common sense advice on voice mail.Common Sense Ideas for Sending Voice MessagesSpeak slowly and clearly Say your name, phone number, date and time at... Continue Reading
Nov21
Managing Your To-Do List for High Peformance
Today is Wednesday, so this post is on performance.I came across some great common sense advice on working with to-do lists in a back issue of The Office Professional the other day.  My booklet 101 Common Sense Ideas for Building... Continue Reading
Personal Branding and Positive Personal Impact
Today is Tuesday, so this post is on positive personal impact.Developing and nurturing your personal brand is one of the best ways to create positive personal impact.  20 years ago, brands were for products.  10 years ago, people like me... Continue Reading
Nov19
12 Common Fears That Can Keep You From Getting What You Want in Life and Your Career
Today is Monday, so this post is on self confidence. In previous posts, I have commented that fear is the enemy of self confidence.  Lorraine Cohen is a business consultant and life strategist.  In her e book, Fearless: 7 Keys... Continue Reading
Nov16
Trust
Today is Friday, so this post is on interpersonal competence. All interpersonally competent people have the ability to build trusting relationships.  Stephen M. R. Covey (the son of Steven R. Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People) has... Continue Reading
Email or Phone? Decide Carefully
Today is Thursday, so this post is on communication skills. I came across an interesting article on the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business web site entitled Email Miscommunication All in Sender’s Head. Read on for the entire text... Continue Reading
A Blueprint for Success
Today is Wednesday, so this post is on performance.  Recently, I came across an article entitled A Blueprint for Goal Achievement: Strategies to Reach Any Goal by Mike Kramer.  In the article, Mr. Kramer says that building a coffee table... Continue Reading
Nov13
Joe Paterno and Personal Impact
Today is Tuesday, so this post is on positive personal impact. I went to college at Penn State.  When I was there from 1968 to 1972, Joe Paterno was -- and still is -- the head football coach there.  Last... Continue Reading
Self Confidence -- From an Eastern Perspective
Today is Monday, so this post is on self confidence.  As mentioned in a previous post, I found the Buddhist site, http://buddhism.kalachakranet.org/self-confidence.html a few weeks ago.  Since then, I have returned to it quite often to read about self confidence... Continue Reading
Nov 9
There Really is No "I" in TEAM
Today is Friday, so this post is on interpersonal competence. Interpersonally competent people are good team players.  Recently, I read a Walk the Talk book by Joel Leskowitz called We’re # 1: A Story About…Teamwork.  This is a fun, illustrated... Continue Reading
Nov 8
Controlling Presentation Nerves
Today is Thursday, so this post is on communication skills.  Today, I’d like to discuss presentation anxiety – what some people call stage fright.  We all get nervous before a talk.  I make speeches for a living and I get... Continue Reading
Nov 7
Performance: Make Your Boss Look Good
Today is Wednesday, so this post is on outstanding performance.  I subscribe to Gary Ryan Blair’s GoalsGuy newsletter.  Yesterday’s post was entitled “Taking Care of #1 – The Customer”.  In this post, Mr. Blair made three crucial points about taking... Continue Reading
Nov 6
Telephone Courtesy: Ask Before You Use the Speakerphone
Today is Tuesday, so this post is on positive personal impact. I was reading Ann Marie Sabath’s little book Business Etiquette: 101 Ways to Conduct Business With Charm and Savvy the other day.  I was struck by Tip 26: “ask... Continue Reading
Nov 3
Want More Self Confidence? Do Something
Today is Monday, so this post is on self confidence. I thought that I would post a few of my favorite quotes on self confidence here today. “Self confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings.”  Samuel Johnson “Confidence is... Continue Reading
Nov 2
Common Sense Tips for Giving Feedback
Today is Friday, so this post is on interpersonal competence. Interpersonally competent people are good at giving and receiving feedback.  In this post, I’d like to review some common sense ideas for giving constructive feedback – to a colleague, friend,... Continue Reading
Nov 1
How to Become More Persuasive
Today is Thursday, so this post is on communication skills – specifically how to be more persuasive. Recently, I came across an interesting book: Artful Persuasion: How to Command Attention, Change Minds, and Influence People.  Commanding attention, changing minds and... Continue Reading
Your Body Clock and Performance
Today is Wednesday, so this post is on outstanding performance. I read an interesting piece in Psychology Today on circadian type – your body clock -- in plain English.  “The part of the brain that regulates you ability to think... Continue Reading

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