Giving Thanks

I was raised to be obsessed with the performance of acts of gratitude. Whenever I received a gift from anyone, I was ordered to express my thanks in person and in written form, regardless of the size of the gift. As I grew up, I chafed at the ritual of writing the half-sincere thank-you note—thank you very much for the [blank]…your generosity is very much appreciated…thanks, again! But I knew that the sentiment conveyed by the note meant something to its recipient, and although I no longer believe in the multi-pronged thanks-giving strategy, I still make sure that the words are said in some form whenever I receive something from another. I thank those who hold doors open for me, who hand me change, who serve my food, and who help me do my job.

And this is why it is inexplicable to me that a simple thank you is so often omitted when I complete an assignment in the workplace. I know very little about managing people, but I do know what I was taught about how to treat others. I know it sounds petty, but a simple (even insincere) expression of gratitude goes miles when someone is asked to perform a task that she is not interested in performing on her own accord (even if she is being paid to do so). It doesn’t take managerial genius to figure this one out, only the simple politeness that most of us were taught as children.