Two little magic words

Well it seems that my question last week as to why accidents are now incidents stirred up a wee bit of a debate. And Cicero would like to thank those of you who wrote to explain the difference between an incident and an accident. Cicero is not fully convinced that the explanations are at all credible and remains committed to the thesis that someone had nothing better to do one day.

When Cicero was a wee laddie (yes, folks, Cicero was a wee laddie once), Cicero’s mater and pater would constantly chorus when he had been given something ‘what are the two little magic words?’. Now Cicero always was a quick learner and quickly discovered that people would be pleased when he said ‘thank you’. And so it came to pass that thank you became an automatic and well meant response when offered or given something. It was a matter of manners and Cicero always was well mannered, even to this day.

But it seems that like in our business life we have forgotten the two little magic words.

Research has recently been published which divides us is into ‘thankers’ and ‘thank nots’. In other words, those who recognise the importance of appreciating and recognising the effort of their people and those who don’t find this simple courtesy necessary. On which side of the divide are you?

A staggering 16% of people, our people, stated that they never receive a thank you from their line manager. And this figure has increased two-fold from the previous year! How can that be? Is the credit crunch making us less appreciative? Is it something do with health and safety? Or maybe its swine flu, it seems to be blamed for everything else.

Two words, which take approximately one second to speak and less than four seconds to write down, can mean so much to our people and yet so many business people seem to struggle with the concept. Why? Can you help explain this? Maybe those of you with views on the correct use of ‘accident’ and ‘incident’ can help explain why this might be?

Are we embarrassed? Are we ignorant? Are we afraid? And, should you be a ‘thank not’, don’t you dare use the excuse that no one thanks you. Cicero People don’t think like that. Cicero People pick up the napkin and lead. Always.

Think about the number of times during the course of a day we say thank you and for what. Yet it is obvious that there are people out there who find it so difficult to say thanks to those who are working hard to make life easy for customers or helping to make their bosses look good.

43% said that not feeling valued or appreciated contributed greatly to their decision to leave a job. Speaking those two little magic words could prove to be a cost effective solution for staff retention. But more importantly think how much extra effort could be got from our people if we just remember the two little magic words.

A simple ‘thank you’ has a significant effect on how people feel and perform at work so why not test drive my two little magic words today and see the positive effect you can share with the world. Cicero would like to ask you to commit that after reading this you write or say thank you to someone in your business for a job well done. Do it now. Do it today. And let me know how you get on. I look forward to hearing from you. Believe me this is far more important than accident or incident.

Thanks for reading this. It is really appreciated.

Is it only me?

It seems like I can no longer move tables. I don’t know when this happened or why but I am no longer qualified to move a table and if I want a table moved in my workplace I need to log a call and book in advance for a fully qualified table shifter to move my table on my behalf. I kid you not. It seems that only fully trained and certified table shifting operatives have the necessary skills and training and experience to move a table a few feet. I have no doubt that the State has battalions of table shifters waiting to be booked. We might not have enough helicopters for our brave Army boys but never fear we have enough table shifters for our bureaucratic classes. I bet you can sleep easy now you know that.

Of course this is the latest directive from the health and safety gauleiters and I can tell you I am not best pleased. It might only be me but sometimes I shift tables spontaneously. I don’t plan or diarise to shift a table so how am I supposed to pre-book my qualified table shifter.

Don’t worry though I am fighting back. Since the reason given for this policy is health and safety, I have exercised my Freedom of Information rights and have asked for details of all accidents, or incidents (see last week), caused by unplanned and inexperienced table shifting in past 5 years. And in meantime I will continue to shift tables spontaneously until the Health and Safety police take me in for water boarding.

Still good to know how seriously state employees take the protection of the incredibly stupid.

Have a great week.

Sit felix. Et sit fortunatus.