Tis the season for invitations.
Most invitations request an RSVP.
Wiki defines RSVP: ” From the French RSVP, réspondez s’il vous plaît, meaning “reply please” or “please respond”
The Host(ess) simply wants to know if you’re coming (or not), so appropriate preparations can happen.
Without some inkling of a notion as to how many folks are coming, how big a space will be needed?
How much food and drink?
How much parking for cars will be needed?
The sad truth is that many people take this RSVP thing lightly and either fail to respond at all . . . or respond “Yes” and fail to show up . . . or respond @ last minute and just show up.
I know – I know . . . The calendar is very complex and we’re all SO busy with our preparations for the Holidays, so we’re beginning to feel overwhelm and getting very choosy about which events to attend.
Does this absolve us from the “Common Courtesy” of responding to an Invitation with an RSVP?
If we’ve responded “Yes” and things change, shouldn’t we make the call and let the host know we cannot make it after all? Or is it OK to fail to show up thinking that “No one will notice we’re not there?”
Guess what?
They’ll notice!
and you will have defined yourself in the eyes of the host who very well take you off the list for the next shin-dig.
All of the above applies to all meetings (not just parties). I believe many folks create their own reputation of “Flaky” or “Reliable” simply by their ability to honor this RSVP process.
Taken to the extreme . . . It becomes an integrity issue.
I invite you to play this game at a high level . . . Stay on the high road by RSVPing with a yes or no and then simply do as you say you are going to do.
WHEW!
Got THAT off my chest now . . . 18 days til Christmas . . . and then 2012.
Will you get there with your integrity intact?
Just sayin’
Best,
b
PS – This comes on the heals of hearing a host (partly tongue in cheek) suggesting that he charge money for entrance to his party so the attendees “Have some skin in the game” to raise the probability that when they RSVP “Yes” they’ll actually show up. Why? Last event he hosted, only 60% of the people who said they coming showed up!
REALLY?
That’s just RUDE!
🙂