The Art of Professional Courtesy

The best stories have a teachable moment.

Such is the case in the story of a thank you card I received years ago. I kept it for its shock value.

I was employed at the time in a position that provided plenty of opportunity to engage with people both inside and outside the organization. In this instance that sparked the thank you note, I had held a phone conversation with a woman who fell outside the realm of the usual suspects – those whom I knew and freely engaged with on a regular basis.

Balancing professionalism with a hint of personal warmth, I carried my end of the call with this person whom I had never talked to before. I heard her out, tried to answer her questions as best I could, and determined there was further detail I needed to collect. I told her I would do so and get back to her with the rest of the information.

Let’s hit the pause button for a moment.

Have you ever been on the other end of the phone line and been told by a businessperson or customer service agent that they would get back to you, only to find that your conversation was ‘outta sight, outta mind’ and the follow-up call you expected never happened? Yes, I thought so. Now back to our story…

Let me point out one little fact here: I was doing my job, plain and simple. Her call was just part of my daily workload. So I did my job. I set about gathering the information. When I had it, I called her back.

A few days later I collected a stack of mail from my office mail cubby. There was a small hand-addressed envelope. You know, the kind that looks like a baby shower invitation, a cleverly disguised marketing pitch for a free retirement seminar dinner, or a … thank you note.

Back at my desk I about fell off my chair when I opened it up; thus, the shock value, making it a keeper.

It was from this woman – whom I never met and had only spoken to twice on the phone – thanking me for being true to my word of getting back to her. More than the information I searched out and provided, she was stunned that I had actually done so. I was stunned that she was stunned and thought to myself ‘what a sad commentary on professional courtesy these days.’ Her final remark was along the lines of following through on what you said you would do being a rare commodity, and she wanted to tell me she had taken notice. She signed off with genuine warmth.

I have thought about that note so many times in my continuing work and personal life. It’s fitting to acknowledge some teachable takeaways embedded within The Art of Professional Courtesy.

– If you say you are going to do something, do it. Conversely, if you don’t intend to, don’t say you will.

– Practice the Art. If this does not come easily for you, it likely doesn’t for many others either. That’s why it’s called practicing. To learn or improve in leading with your life through professional courtesy takes practice. Pick up the phone. Compose and send that email. Follow up and show up. Others will notice.

– The Art of Professional Courtesy is a small investment in reaping larger rewards. Don’t be caught wondering why no one wants your services or at a personal level, doesn’t want to spend time with you. The Sixty Million Dollar question is: Do I do what I say I will do; how do I rate at follow-through?

– Human nature is such that we like to be on the receiving end of others’ good, honest word. Today’s equivalent of a gentleman’s handshake may look like a private Facebook message, a phone text, an email or a voicemail simply because life is busy, work is full, and distance impedes. Though much of communication is conducted virtually these days, The Art of Professional Courtesy remains a point of integrity.

Now it’s your turn. What teachable takeaway might you share regarding The Art of Professional Courtesy? I invite you to leave a comment below for the benefit of our readers.

And the shock value 🙂

~ Nancy

photo credit: Thank you via photopin (license)