Learn, Share, Grow - No Thank You

November 20, 2023

Below is a lesson from Seth Godin on the mistake of acknowledging your gratitude, 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.

No thank you

by Seth Godin

Failing to acknowledge a favor or a courtesy is a triple mistake, and it’s becoming more common. ChatGPT is now promoting the idea that it can write a thank you note for you, and a text is a lot easier than a handwritten note, and yet, the level of ‘thank you’ seems to be falling.

It’s not that people don’t have the time to offer an honest ‘thank you’. It’s that they don’t want to acknowledge the obligation or connection.

Minimizing a favor is an easy way to stay focused on the noise in our own heads, as opposed to realizing that we’re surrounded by other people.

Hustle culture has discovered that ‘asking for a favor’ often triggers a positive response. This effort on the part of the other person happens because the favor-giver is seeking connection. When the recipient minimizes the favor or fails to say thank you, they create distance, not connection.

Continue reading here.

Key Learnings:

• Failing to acknowledge a favor or courtesy is a triple mistake and becoming more common.
• People don't want to acknowledge the obligation or connection -- not that they don't have time to offer a thanks.
• Minimizing a favor is an easy way to stay focused on the noise in your head -- all the things you have going on.
• Asking for a favor often triggers a positive response -- because the person giving the favor is seeking connection. When the receiver minimizes the favor or fails to say thank you, they create distance, not connection.
• An expression of gratitude requires little effort. Failure to acknowledge a favor makes it harder for the next person -- if no connection, why not be selfish?
• Civility fades in the face of entitlement. It's easier to assert that it was yours to take instead of acknowledging the kind gesture that you received.
• The magic of an honest expression of gratitude is that the person saying thank you might benefit from it as much as the recipient.