November 7, 2022

Below is a lesson from Axios on how physical thank you cards add to the 4 human needs, as well as our key learnings.

The Blue Courage team is dedicated to continual learning and growth.  We have adopted a concept from Simon Sinek’s Start With Why team called “Learn, Share, Grow”.  We are constantly finding great articles, videos, and readings that have so much learning.  As we learn new and great things, this new knowledge should be shared for everyone to then grow from.

1 big thing: Cards that count

Mike Allen, Erica Pandey, Jim VandeHei

Physical thank-you notes are an endangered species, as many of us switch to texts or email — or just ditch the courtesy altogether.

• Why it matters: Jotting a quick note makes you stand out more than ever. More importantly, the recipient will be surprised. They'll feel good about themselves — and you.

🖋️ Dwindling thank-you notes go hand-in-hand with the decline of greeting cards, Axios' Nathan Bomey writes.

• CVS, Walmart and other retailers have reduced floor space devoted to greeting cards. Card sellers Papyrus and Paper Source filed for bankruptcy.

"It's hard work to go and find a card, write it, go and find a stamp," says Emily West, a UMass Amherst communications professor who studies greeting cards.

• "It's like: Who has stamps?"

But for many occasions, a text or social media DM doesn't cut it, says Danny Groner of New York, who was tickled to get a thank-you card from his boss at venture capital firm Forecast Labs.

Continue reading here.

Key Learnings:

• Why physical thank you cards matter: Jotting a quick note makes you stand out more than ever. More importantly, the recipient will be surprised. They'll feel good about themselves — and you.
• For many occasions, a text or social media DM doesn't cut it.
• Many find physical thank you notes to mean a lot and are the kinds of things that stick with you.
• Even if writing and mailing thank you notes are "going out of style" it is still very important that you let people know you are grateful loud and clear.
• Pro Tip: Keep it short.
• If you jot out one sincere, personal, specific sentence, you've given one of life's cheapest gifts — making someone feel good.
• BONUS KEY LEARNING FROM THE BLUE COURAGE TEAM: There are 4 basic emotional human needs that every person requires that, when not met, activate the fight/flight/freeze mentality -- thus setting into motion the physiological responses that wear on our systems. These 4 needs are: Attention, Affection, Appreciation, and Acceptance. When we can understand the power of these emotional needs both for ourselves and others, it takes us all to another level of performance, creativity, relationships, teamwork, trust, and living in abundance -- the more fulfilled our lives can be. As a leader, it is our leadership responsibility to ensure that we are nourishing these needs of our people by actions that feed into what they require to flourish, such as writing a short, meaningful thank you note!