How Often Do You Say Thank You?

Rarely, it’s true, I get the remark that I am exaggerating with giving thanks. I always welcome this with a smile because that means that my parents had done a great job raising me and that I am still a humble and grateful individual to those that take from their time and energy to give me a hand.

It’s not at all tedious to me to say thank you, and I believe it should not be for anyone. But I know for a fact that some consider it a weakness.

For example, I once had a manager that bragged about the fact that he did not say thank you but very rarely. Often, when we were in team meetings, he would remind us that he does not like to say thank you. The explanation was that he did not want to support infantile behavior. According to his opinion, only children needed encouragements and thank-yous in order to have the stimulus to perpetuate certain prosocial behaviors. Adults, he believed, received once a month a nice thank you with their salaries being paid. Why was there a need to also receive a thank you from their manager?!

As for colleagues … there are a lot that believe that colleagues within a team don’t need to say thank you. That we are all peers and there is no need for useless formality. Which reminds me of an episode from a famous TV series. One colleague tells the other that he had learned that he had intimate relations with one of their colleagues. The latter asked how he had figured this out and the reply was that when she had offered him something, he did not say thank you – thus, they were intimate because they were not following the social code.

 

Why Should We Say Thank You?

Firstly, because no matter the relationships we are in, work or other types, no one is required to offer their limitless help.

Secondly, because we all need to receive acknowledgement and gratitude for our work. For example, I recently received a thank you note for a project I had created a while back in a company I no longer work for. It was indeed very nice to receive acknowledgment that not only my work was good, but also after such a time it is still an epitome. Just think of what this would have done for the motivation and engagement of an active employee!

 

But what about you, how often do you say thank you?