You All Do a Good Job
I should have seen it coming…
Prompted by me to tell me that I do a good job, you all responded with a whole lot of emails telling me I do just that. Thank you for making my day. It turns out there is no such thing as too many kind and thoughtful emails. After all, no one puts something out in the world without wanting a genuine response, so good job on that.
Of all of the responses I received, two stuck out for their clarity of thought and so I thought I would pass them along. One, from Casey, said this:
As a people-pleaser, I often catch myself writing “Sorry to clog your inbox” (I’ve maybe even said it to you). As with many things, I’ve settled on it coming down to scarcity versus abundance. If I feel like I’m clogging an inbox because I’m looking for attention or some other ulterior motive, that’s scarcity, and I rethink whether I want to send. If I’m sending because I appreciate what they said or it’s something else genuine, that’s from abundance and I send. Not a hard and fast rule, but it’s been helpful.
Lance, striking a similar tone, said:
I’ve contemplated this a lot and have arrived at erring on the side of over communicating. Email is one dimensional communication so acknowledgment of receipt or saying a quick “Thank you” is affirming and closes the loop.
That last bit in particular resonated with me because one of the most infuriating things that happens in my life these days is when I say something to my kids and they don’t respond. While I’d certainly prefer a positive response, I could handle a negative response, but what’s infuriating is the lack of response. It leaves me wondering if they heard me, care, and what they’re thinking.
C’mon guys!
Because maybe that’s what we’re all reliably looking for in this world: acknowledgment. Have a great weekend.
-Tim
