Every day you have opportunities to make deposits in others’ lives. A simple compliment can affect someone significantly. Often, we think good thoughts about someone for something they said or did, but we don’t tell them. I encourage you to use this month of November to share with them what you’re thinking.
A young leader asked Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, for advice on what to do to be a good leader. He said: “When you’re giving feedback, it’s like a bank account. When you give positive feedback, you’re putting money into the account. When you give negative feedback, you’re taking money out. You can’t take money out before putting money in. You can’t run on a negative balance. You want a surplus.”
He also said, “Catch people doing something right instead of catching them doing something wrong.” Even if you notice an incremental change in the direction you’d like them to go, tell them.
See their glass as half-full instead of half-empty. Acknowledge what they bring to their work or to the work environment.
I bet you’re already thinking of people who have done something you would like to acknowledge. It doesn’t matter if it was recent or ages ago.
Whether it’s a phone call, text, email, or handwritten note, your deposit can make a big difference in their life. FYI, some people keep those notes and messages for years. I’ve kept some of mine.
Go ahead, make some deposits this week.
