Blog

We all know that it’s important to say “please” and “thank-you” to others. But there are other ways to show courtesy– and, as leaders, we need to be using them more. One powerful question that shows courtesy is, “how can I help?” When and with whom do you think you can use this powerful question at home or here in class? We can also use the phrase “you’re welcome” or even better, “it’s my pleasure” when someone says thank-you to us (instead of “no problem”). When we say “no problem” it implies that sometimes it might be a problem! Switch to “it’s my pleasure” so that people know that you are happy to help. When can you use “it’s my pleasure?” Finally, let’s talk about saying “sorry.” Often, people don’t take responsibility when they say it. When we apologize, we need to say what we are sorry for and how we can make it better. For example; “I’m sorry that I ran into you, can I get you some ice?” Give an example of a good apology (i.e. when you bump someone and they drop their lunch, hurt someone’s feelings).

If you have time: As a leader, why do you think it’s important to apologize- can’t leaders get a pass?