Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay cosmetics, wrote, “Everyone has an invisible sign hanging from their neck saying, 'Make me feel important.' Never forget this message when working with people. Similarly, no matter how busy you are, you must take time to make the other person feel important.” She considered caring and kindness to be the essential ingredients of a successful workforce. Her book The Mary Kay Way, first published in 1984, is still a useful source for best practice behaviors.
A way to measure your mastery of this habit is to not try to remember every name, but rather decide IF you want to remember the new person's name, and then remember it.
When introduced to this person, repeat their full name; say nice meeting you, then repeat their first name. Pretend they handed you a business card even if they didn’t. Remembering their name is like keeping their business card. There are many systems for improving your memory, but the first step is to be mindful of the fact that calling people by name make them feel valued.
Talking to your coach. Your personal coach can play a very active role in helping you establish this habit. Stay in contact with your coach throughout the day. Each time you meet someone new whose name you want to remember, tell your coach the name. This proves that you paid attention to it. Plus, making the journal entry itself will reinforce your mindfulness of the name. This way, your journal becomes a repository for the new people you have met. And, of course, their names.
