“Please” & “Thank You” with Clout

I was surprised by his comment when the waiter walked out of earshot. Every industry has its heroes, and I was sitting at breakfast with mine. The man across the table was an undoubtable legend in strength and conditioning and his courage is largely responsible for saving a dying sport.  

“You can tell a lot about a person based on how they treat waitstaff,” he said. 

While the waiter was in our presence, he was sure to cap off his order with a clear “please” and “thank you”. None of this was revolutionary to me. In fact, I learned quite specifically at a young age that no request isn’t followed by those key words. 

My point, however, is the power of someone with influence taking a stand on something honorable and optional like how you’d treat others. After all, if it’s not our parents, young and impressionable folks need to be taught behaviors. 

The alternative is what’s scary. 

It only takes one highly influential person in your life to model unbecoming behavior. I don’t think we naturally mistreat each other for long. When you have a cohort that supports, reinforces, and encourages mean behavior, however, the sky’s the limit for toxicity. 

Thanks, Rob, for being a stand-up example.