Physician George Adams found encouragement to be so vital to a person’s existence that he called it “Oxygen of the Soul”
The most fundamental and straight forward way of winning with people is to give them a compliment- a sincere and meaningful word of appreciation. If you want to make others feel like a million bucks, you’ve got to master this elementary skill. It is essential that we learn to compliment people in public which will instantly have a positive impact. When you compliment a person’s attitude, you reinforce it and make it more consistent. Like the repetition of weightlifting regimen, routine compliments build up people’s qualities and strengthen their personalities.
As former Secretary of defense and World Bank President Robert McNamara said,” Brains are like hearts, they go where they are appreciated”. Remember people’s names and take time to show them your care. If you want to add value to people, you have to value them first. Believe in the best in others, and you will bring out their best.
As commander of a 10 billion warship and a crew of 310, Mike Abrashoff used grassroots leadership to increase retention rates from 28 percent to 100 percent, reduce operating expenditures, and improve readiness. How did he do it? Among other things, he placed supreme importance on public compliments.
“The commanding officer of a ship is authorized to hand out 15 medals a year”, he wrote. “I wanted to err on the side of excess, so I passed out 115”. While awarding the medal, Abrashoff also delivered a short speech describing how much we cherished the recipient’s friendship, camaraderie, and hard work.
Whenever you have the opportunity to publicly praise another person, don’t let it slip by. You can create these opportunities, as Captain Abrashoff did, but you can also find countless opportunities if you look for them.
Sr(Dr)Lilly Thockanattu SJL
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