It's My Pleasure

"I'm out of order at the window."
"Heard!"

"I need another bagel for this order."
"Heard!"

"We're out of biscuits. No more biscuits this morning."
"Heard!"

"The coffee is almost empty."
"Heard!"

If you were to spend time hanging around the expiditing area at Chick-fil-A, these are some of the brief conversations you would be likely to hear. When information is given, or a need is made known, there is always an audible and definitive response so that the speaker knows he or she has been Heard!
(Ahhh, if I could bottle this phenomenon and sell it, I'm sure every mother of a teenager would be lined up at my door to buy it. *wink*)
The thing is, clear and reliable communication is necessary to make a place like Chick-fil-A operate successfully. Without it, we'd be a mess. And our guests would not be well-served.
But as I was noticing these responses flying through the air this week, and when I thought about it a little more deeply, I realized deliberate communication is so much more than just a good business practice.
It's a life skill.
It's a relationship builder.
It's a way to honor people.
And I am not just saying that because I majored in Communication, and I feel the need to justify those years of study.
When we're working at Chick-fil-A to fulfill orders and bring our guests satisfaction, and when we express a need and then hear, "Heard!" we know a few things:
1) The message we wished to convey has been received.
That is key. And it's good. But it is only the beginning. Because in hearing, "Heard!" we also know this:
2) We are not alone.
3) We have support behind us.
4) What we've said matters to others.
5) Our needs are going to be met.
And it occured to me, if this practice helps make work a pleasure, how much more could thoughtful communication do for our relationships??!!