In our increasingly cryptic world of digital communication – an email filled with shorthand here, a text or tweet here, there and everywhere – I am wondering if this is just a temporary fad, driven by connected hordes of Gen Xers and the Millennials who use tweets and SSM as a primary communication tool, or if it will give way to more complete forms of communication as these two generations mature and move up the corporate ladder?
Or, are we seeing the end to proper letter writing and actual thank you notes, replaced by: GAS. AEAP need team to do OOTB. Current P2C2E. (Translation for Baby Boomers: Got a second? As early as possible, I need your team to do some out of the box thinking. The current process we are dealing with is too complicated to explain.)
For those who argue that this shorthand is all perfectly understandable, my response is: RUMCYMHMD. (Are you on medication because you may have missed a dose?)
Sending letters and thank you notes – in an AFZ (acronym free zone) format – is perhaps one way to slow down this increasing reliance on text shorthand.
For those who regularly follow my blog, you know that I am underwhelmed with LinkedIn’s endorsement feature. I think it misses the “adding value” goal by a million miles since it allows users, for those so inclined, to endorse people in their network whether they know them or not. Perhaps one way to make it somewhat helpful – if you are the endorsee – is to send an actual thank you note with no shorthand. You get that Dan or Sue may be trying to suck up but now you have a legitimate reason to reach out to them and sell yourself.
As an executive recruiter who is retained to work on senior level assignments I am always trying to bolster my network of candidates or networking contacts that can help me identify the top candidates. Being endorsed almost always triggers a response to the endorser, whether I know them or not:
Dan, thank you for endorsing me.
Don’t hesitate to contact me if you:
- Would like to connect with someone in my network. If it’s someone I know personally I would be happy to make an introduction
- Would like me to speak at an event
- Are in need of career advice. I often mentor others who are just starting their career or are looking to make a career change
- Know someone who would be an ideal candidate for one of our open positions
- Would like to submit your resume for consideration. Our firm is focused on executive level healthcare positions so if that is where your experiences lie please send your resume to us at resumes@JohnGSelf.com
- Want to guest blog with us at www.JohnGSelf.com/Self-Perspective? We are always looking for a fresh perspective
Thank you again for endorsing me.
John G. Self
JohnGSelf Associates, Inc.
www.JohnGSelf.com
info@JohnGSelf.com
This helps me build my brand, and is so much more effective than:
10X, also known as thank you.
© 2013 John Gregory Self