Thank You Very Much!
Whatever happened to good manners? Am I just old fashioned and out of style? (Don’t answer that!) In my day, we were taught to say, “Good morning” when we walked into a room, “Please” whenever you wanted someone to do something for you, and “Thank you” when they did so. Today, people walk into a room or pass you by, make no eye contact, and do not even speak to you. They don’t even nod in your direction!
Can’t you just hear someone saying, “Thanks!” when you hand them a finished product that took all day to complete? Can’t you hear somebody saying, “Thanks” when you picked up their child from school? Can’t you hear somebody saying, “Thanks” when you go out of your way to drop them off at the airport to catch their plane?
How hard is it for us to use proper etiquette to appreciate what others do for us? Like everything else that we now consider ‘old school’, are we allowing our civility to dry up and be taken over by an attitude of ingratitude?
We seldom hear people say, “Thank you” anymore. Instead, the phrase has been shortened to one word with an exclamation point, “Thanks!”. Lately, wherever I go or whoever I share something with online, the typical response I get is ‘Thanks!’
It is certainly nothing wrong with saying ‘thanks!’, especially when there might be no expression of gratitude. However, the way “Thanks!” is used today sounds a bit flippant and insincere. I can only guess that the added exclamation point is to add a level of sincerity. Saying “Thank you” on the other hand, tends to convey a genuine appreciation because it is not a hurried response. Taking a few extra seconds to appreciate someone’s assistance or their sharing of information does not require a lot of forethought, but it does require presence of mind even when it may be through email or text.
I can only hope our shortcut phrases and our inability to recognize how these small, but somewhat impolite actions are chipping away at our culture. No, this is not Etiquette 101. It is a simple reminder about courteousness which is what leaders need to try to be at all times!
Thank you, thank you very much! (Elvis style)