The hardest words: five tips on thanking well

I noticed this sign on the back of some toilet doors recently. Guess what? It's inspired me to write this blog. But it's not going to be about bathroom hygiene. And I know that another toilet metaphor might drive you, erm, round the bend. No, this blog is about the fine art of thanking - thanking supporters, and thanking colleagues.  But why this picture? You'll have to read on to find out. Here are my five tips on thanking well. 1. Drop pretty much everything to say thank you first It was stressed to me 20 years ago that one of the most important roles in a charity was 'thanking and banking'. I love that expression. If a cheque arrived in the post, it always moved to the top of my intray, so that I could thank the donor as promptly as possible, even before we'd got it to a bank. Now, in the days of BACS transfers and online donations (and fewer cheques in envelopes), and much less paper in in-trays, it's actually easier to neglect the thanking part. Imagine there's a cheque - or better still, real money - on the desk in front of you. Thank them now. 2. Remember to acknowledge your colleagues and give them credit The best manager I've had so far was a brilliant thanker. Often in meetings, I would try to be the last person to say thank you. I never managed it. He always somehow squeezed one in just as I was leaving the room. And he meant it. The reason I knew he meant it was because he was assiduous in his acknowledgement of my work. He never once pa