Thank You

Our program committee for ASTD got together at Carl’s house recently to discuss programs for the upcoming year. Carl is a consummate host who showered us with lively conversation and great food. We had a great time, and the next day I sent Carl a thank you note expressing my gratitude for his hard work.

A couple of days later, I was surprised to get the following email from Carl:

“Steve, Thanks to your mother for teaching you the fine art of thank you notes. Your’s was very much appreciated. It was work to cook but the thank you notes make it worthwhile.”

I don’t think I’ve ever received a thank you note for sending a thank you note. But Carl’s message underscored the value and importance of sending a written and genuine Thank You. It made an impression on Carl. It made him feel appreciated.

One of the easiest ways to make a positive impression with an interviewer is to follow up the interview with a written thank you note. Most job candidates ignore (or forget) this important step to make a positive and lasting impression.

Follow up from ASTD presentation

The ASTD presentation last month was a blast — at least for me. The audience seemed to be very engaged and we got very good reviews for the meeting. Unfortunately, I ran out of time before I ran out of material, so I had to cut off part of the presentation. Oh well, I guess it’s better to have too much material than not enough.

Here are some photos from the evening.

Keeping with the “Hooray for Hollywood!” theme, the tables were decorated with movie items.

 

We had a very good crowd that evening, with lots of participation. Notice that everyone is facing the speaker and nobody is asleep. I take that as a good sign

 

Yours truly (above and below)