Week 6- Say Names

It’s easy not to notice how you address people, for example, this week I found that I tend to call people by name if it ends in an “e” sound, like Amy or Ellie, and when people have short, common names, Jack or Kate for example, I find myself using their whole name. Names that don’t fit that criteria, I subconsciously avoid saying for some reason.

Ever hear a sound that sounds vaguely like your name and it catches your attention straight away? It makes sense that the same thing happens when your name is actually said. It was easier to get people to do what I wanted when I used their name, particularly at the beginning of the sentence, simply because they paid closer attention to what I was about to say.

Working in a group project this week, I found it easy to earn my place as informal group leader and ensure that my ideas were used. I used some of principal one- don’t complain or condemn- for it as well, asking people if they had any ideas when they criticized mine, and when they gave an idea I didn’t like replying with a compliment (principal two) but following by kindly pointing out the flaws, but a big part of actually leading the group was asking people to do things, and it was actually a lot easier when I used their names.

An additional purpose this could have served is to make myself seem closer to the person I was communicating with. You’ve probably been in a situation in which a person of whom you knew the name realized you weren’t saying it and pointed it out, saying something like “you don’t remember my name, do you?” It makes people feel as if they are important enough to you for you to remember their name when you actually say it and everyone likes to feel important.