Hugh Gibbons' references and extra information
PPhunnybone for January 2014
for pharmaceutical physicians, colleagues and friends

Well done you - for working your way through PP.

You’ve just been reminded of three of the most powerful expressions available.  On paper, screen or in person, Well Done, Thanks and You help you engage engagingly. 

So for me, most e-mail replies start with Thanks.  And so do all presentations, whether to a business conference, congregation in church, or a primary school assembly.  Using these as openers lets them know that as a communicator I have them in mind.  And I often ask reinforce this by asking them to give each other a pat on the back for what they do for other people – and pass this on to colleagues, families, friends.

These simple words also help build Liking and Reciprocity.  Top social psychologist Bob Cialdini cites these as two of the six powerful influencers of favourable decisions in business and beyond.  We like to do business with people we like – and who we feel like us.  So everything you can do to increase your own likeability is important.  That’s why I tick a lot of Likes in Facebook – to let others know that at least one person hears and appreciates what interests them.

Recently I had the happy experience of teasing out likeable thank-you letters - from unlikely sources. 

For a local primary school, I painted a special Gallery, nearly 3m wide.  It’s actually a working resource for teachers – and a snapshot of the ethos of the school in 2013.

The children and staff chose the 10 big figures (thanks!).  Their requests included The Good Samaritan and the Queen, so I had them high-fiving. The Virgin Mary has an empty pushchair.  Malala’s up there with Isaac Newton’s rainbow, and David Beckham holds the hand of a UNICEF symbol.  I then filled spaces with about 20 smaller ones – ranging from Spitfire AB910 to Pope Francis doffing his cap and the five volcanoes on the flag of El Salvador.  We arranged for the youngest child to place an Oscar Romero Cross in the centre, and she promised to turn up in 2063 to share the story. 

And then fun started.  I thought: suppose I write to people associated with the figures, in the hope of getting something extra for the school to treasure?  What came back were masterpieces of thanks and well done – some personal, some by skilled spokespeople.  

For example, Gordon Brown – in his happier role as UN Special Envoy for Global Education – was “thrilled” on behalf of Malala.  Nobel Prize-Winner Sir Paul Nurse, President of the Royal Society, was glad his predecessor Isaac Newton was one of those selected, and put in a good word for scientists.  He signed his letter “Paul”, which made him even more likeable.

And The Queen was “was very touched” at being chosen by Year3, sent her best wishes to everyone in the school – and asked her lady-in-waiting to “thank you for your thoughtfulness in writing”.

Well done all round.  And thank you for your thoughtfulness in reading this PPhunnybone.