DISMISSING THANK YOU NOTES. AS TRANSACTIONAL WORKPLACE LEADERSHIP EXPERT, JOE MULL EXPERIENCED A TRANSFORMATIVE SHIFT IN PERSPECTIVE. A SERIES OF EVENTS SPARKED A REVELATION RESHAPING HIS UNDERSTANDING OF A FEW CAREFULLY CHOSEN WORDS.
“There are so many moments where there's this sort of societal expectation that you have to send a thank you note, and I just hate the transactional nature of that expectation.”
AFTER STEPHEN SONDHEIM'S PASSING A NEW YORK TIMES PIECE UNVEILED HIS HABIT OF SENDING NOTES TO PERFORMERS AND ARTISTS FOLLOWING HIS INCOGNITO ATTENDANCE AT PERFORMANCES. SONDHEIM WOULD SEND BRIEF YET DETAILED NOTES LEAVING RECIPIENTS PROFOUNDLY AFFECTED.
“For me, it was about where can I move away from those transactional expectations and instead try to spot opportunities to send notes when they're not expecting it. From a workforce and leadership perspective, we hear that the kind of recognition that's the most impactful is when they got direct and specific praise from their boss, and so when I get asked by organizations what the best kind of recognition programs are, my answer is programs that spark a leader to write a handwritten note or send a personal message that details the difference that person is making for them, for the organization, for customers, or in people's lives. When we realize that someone else has taken time out of their life to do something positive for us, we feel heard in a world where we're all rushing past each other and often don't take the time to do even that very small kind of gesture.”
THE BUSINESS REVIEW IS A PRODUCTION OF LIVINGSTON AND MCKAY AND THE HANKAMER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY.
