I Know Your Name

My oldest daughter’s transition from a small private elementary school to our large public high school was a little challenging the first few weeks. She wanted desperately to make friends with some of the kids that she observed across the room – but didn’t know how to begin.

I remember telling her to use their names whenever she said “hi.” Just adding their name (“Hi, Laura”) would be much more affective than a simple “hi.”

Using a person’s name is very powerful. It says, “I know who you are – you have value to me as a unique person.”

As managers of people, knowing and using their names in conversation is one powerful way we can communicate the value and worth of that person within the organization. This basic truth shows through in this story, which landed in my inbox this morning. I don’t know the origin of the actual quote, but it was sent to me by a company called Peaceful Daily, (whose motto is “Think good. Eat whole. Walk far.” Nice). Here’s the quote:

"During my second year of nursing school our professor gave us a quiz. I breezed through the questions until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?" Surely this was a joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Before the class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our grade. "Absolutely," the professor said. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say hello." I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy." - Joann C. Jones.

Good reminder to those of us who proclaim that we value our people most of all.