Oil, salt and vinegar - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Oil, salt and vinegar - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog A simple, sincere Thank you can go a long way at work. As this story beautifully illustrates, Thank yous are part of the oil, the social lubricant, that makes for good relationships in the workplace. Oil, salt, and vinegar By Pilar Cambra Chief columnist for Expansi?n newspaper. Try this one day ? any day, any normal, run-of-the-mill day: add up the time you spend complaining, grumbling, moaning ? tacitly or explicitly ? and the time you spend thanking and praising. Is there more vinegar than oil?? It happened some time ago, but the incident ? as tiny as a grain of mustard- has remained in my memory? One day I was in a hurry (and late) for work, and parked my car lopsided in the company car park? ?It doesn?t matter,??? I said to myself, ?the bloke who uses the space next to me normally comes in on his motorbike!? So there?s plenty of room for him to park????. And off I went, thinking no more of it? But it turns out that the colleague who parks next to me sometimes comes by motorbike, but others he comes by car. And on that particular day he had to choose his car: quite a large vehicle which, obviously, came nowhere near fitting into the small space I?d left for his motorbike? After a while, by which time I was engrossed in more pressing matters, I got a call from the car park attendant: ?Mrs. Cambra?: Would you mind parking your car properly?? The user of the place next to you says he just can?t get his into the space you?ve left????. I?ll confess: the sharp vinegar of bad temper surged up inside me? ?I?m on my way!??? I told the attendant. And so I went down to the car park, huffing and puffing, of course, cursing the hassle, the interruption, and the bloody idea of my colleague to bring his bloody car instead of his bloody motorbike? Anyway: I moved my car into the exact space which it should take up and went back up to the office breathing fire, like St.George?s dragon? A few minutes later, I got another call: ?Pilar? it?s your car park neighbour I?m just calling to apologise for having to bother you and, of course, to thank you for moving your car so quickly? Thank you!???? I was so taken aback that I could barely speak In the end, in the midst of a black sea of shame for my awful behaviour, my terrible thoughts and nasty complaining, I replied: ?No, thank YOU ? you?re a good person, there aren?t many left these days! I?m sorry and I promise you?ll never have any problems parking your car again???. Do you know what?: thanking someone seems to have fallen out of common use, become old-fashioned, out of step with our straight-talking and somewhat brusque times? In fact, it almost sounds naff? ?Thank you???, we say; and right away, we shudder at the prospect of hearing the slimy voice, 1950?s radio presenter style, coming back at you with ?no, madam?thank yoooouuuuu???? How jaw-clenchingly awful!? In the work environment the idea of ?not owing anyone anything??? is held up and honoured: the more independent we are, the more manly (or womanly) we feel Thanking people for favours, small or large; for support, minimal or huge; for services, inconsequential or decisive; is a bit humiliating: as if turning to others when we need them weakens us, undermines our reputation as a super-exec-who-goes-it-alone? The oil of gratitude, gratitude which makes the cogs turn without squeaking, sliding smoothly and politely, falls far below the sharp vinegar of our complaining, protests, reproaches? As if vinegar makes us stronger, less vulnerable, more invincible? And I?m not saying that complaining, if it is fair and necessary, is not a fundamental part of keeping justice in the workplace? But, just like in a salad dressing, a few drops may be enough. Mainly so we don?t drown out the salt, of our cordial lives, of working with a smile on our faces. Thank you to Jaizki Arteagabeitia Perea for finding this article in Spanish, for telling me about it and for arranging to have it translated into English. And of course thanks to Pilar for giving her permission to reproduce it here! The article was translated by the nice people at contentspanish.com. Thanks!! Related: Four fantastic phrases at work (includes thank you!) How to complain constructively Pilar Cambras blog The original version of the article in Spanish : Aceite, vinagre y sal. More articles by Pilar Cambra (also in Spanish). Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related