Last weekend saw the coronation of King Charles III. There have since been many articles quoting lip readers who analysed the words of King Charles during both the coronation ceremony and on the balcony at Buckingham Palace. Apparently, during the coronation as each person attended him during the service, he whispered to each either “thank you” or “thank you so much”. On the balcony where helicopters were noisily circling above causing vibrations, he leaned to his wife Queen Camilla and joked “I’m not going to get too close [to the front] so the fire service have to [...run in] rescue me!”
What triggered me to write today’s blog around this subject was a comment a fellow parent made a few days ago of how children today tend to expect and take for granted, showing little of any appreciation.
Compassion, politeness and humour cost nothing and are a function of upbringing. A lack of these can give a poor impression of not only the speaker (child or adult), but of their associated environment whether that be parents, company culture etc. I notice this with my children and their friends. Call me old fashioned, but saying “please” and “thank you” should be hardwired into our children’s unconscious however, for many it’s not. The new “Generation Alpha” born after 2010 are growing up on a diet of Tik Tok, Roblox and immediate gratification. The words “I want” have replaced “please” and silent expectation has replaced “thank you”. I speak from experience: I have a 10 year old and rarely a day passes that I don’t remind her or the importance of saying please and thank you. This was hardwired into me as a child and reflected my parents’ values as my children should now reflect mine.
Learning these simple principles as a child bodes well for professional life. Being polite and showing appreciation cost nothing and will never go out of fashion. Showing compassion for a friend or colleague when going through a tough time will be remembered and using humour to make light of a situation can help calm the nerves. These principles are as valid in a team meeting as they are a client negotiation. Afterall, if they are good enough for a king, they should work in most situations shouldn’t they?!
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Great article Neil. It was drummed into me too and being polite has opened many doors for me in business. There is no upside to not being polite. It goes a long way and people notice from afar.