You’ve heard it many times. I’m guessing you’ve said it many times too. “Thanks for your help with this.” Response, “no problem.” Sound familiar? What made it a problem that had to be denied?
I experience this kind of interaction over and over. As I thank the flight attendant for my glass of water, or my pretzels or peanuts. Most of the time I hear, “no problem” as a response. And I chuckle. Because I think this shouldn’t be a problem to start with!
Recently I had a couple of flights in tight succession where I ended up with the same flight attendant. Each time I thanked her for her service she responded with “my pleasure.” I began thinking about the connotation of the contrast, and how my unconscious was impacted by this slight change in words.
Noticing that I had assumptions about “my pleasure” – she must enjoy her job more than those who reply with “no problem.” I also noticed how I reacted differently internally to each of these responses. Which do you want to hear? Which do you say? Let’s experiment with this — when you catch yourself saying “no problem,” let’s immediately follow it with “you’re welcome” or “my pleasure” (if it was…be authentic!) and notice what happens with the other person.
Let me know what you experience, and I’ll compile the results for another blog. Oh, and to be clear, it will be my pleasure to do so!
About Judy Hissong
Judy Hissong is the President of Nesso Strategies. A former law firm Chief Operating Officer, she helps firms become more profitable by developing leaders. Her mission is “world domination for Good.” By creating actionable, lightbulb moments that leaders want to share and spread, she intends to improve the world one person at a time.
