By DANA DITTMAR, CEO, Sun City Center Chamber of Commerce
I have a friend who is the quintessential definition of a chronic complainer. Her life isn’t really all that horrific, and the downs in her life are usually of her own making. She just thrives on the drama of being so put upon. So all of us who still love and support her have scheduled an intervention to teach her the importance of the Attitude of Gratitude.
When life’s forces throw us enough curve balls, it’s easy — and understandable — to throw ourselves a sizable pity party and invite all of our friends to participate.
But for the most part, life is not curve balls at all, but rather a steady stream of dead-on pitches, some of which we swing at and miss. At the end of the game, though, we still need to thank the pitcher for allowing us to play.
This happens all the time in business relationships. And it isn’t just the customer who runs the restaurant server all over the place only to leave a 10 percent tip. It isn’t just the shopper who forgets to say “thank you” to a clerk who has given them a good sales experience.
Let’s say Mary Kay lady Alice has a neighbor who needs to move into assisted living. Alice knows her neighbor will need to sell his home, downsize, pack up, and move into a new place. So she refers her neighbor to Realtor Harry, Downsizer Frank, Mover Tim and Assisted Living Coordinator Betty. Downsizer Frank gets the job, as does Assisted Living Betty. But the neighbor chooses another Realtor and a different mover.
You know Frank and Betty will thank Alice profusely for the referral, and possibly give her a gift card to Spa Celeste at Club Renaissance or buy her flowers from Harriet’s.
But Harry and Tim should do the same. The referral didn’t pan out, but Alice still put her professional reputation on the line when she endorsed them to her neighbor. And if she were to get a thank-you card in the mail, she’s pretty likely to refer them again to someone else.
Any sales person knows they won’t make every deal. But the smart ones leave a parting gift behind to show their appreciation for the opportunity to bid. It’s more than likely they’ll have a good shot at making the sale on another occasion.
The Attitude of Gratitude is a state of mind that can change your entire outlook toward your job, your relationships and your life. It’s easy to take our staff for granted and forget to tell them what a stellar job they do and how valuable they are to the business. It’s also easy to not say “thank you” to the vendors we use every day and the volunteers who pitch in and make our lives easier.
How different it is when we make a commitment to sincerely thank at least two people every day. Suddenly, we realize just how many people actually are doing nice things for us in ways we rarely see. You are not only making someone else’s day by acknowledging their worth, but you are making yourself happier in the process.
Let’s all adopt the Attitude of Gratitude this week. I think I’ll start with the Husband, and thank him for helping me repair the rental condo that flooded a couple of weeks ago….
Thank you!