Appraise the Value of Your Compliments

“The most exhausting thing in life is being insincere.”                                                                                                                                                 -Anne Morrow Lindbergh

I couldn’t agree more. Now, that doesn’t mean I am advocating that we all take a page out of Scrooge’s handbook and bring “Bah-humbug” back onto the scene...

Why flood your market with ‘atta boys’ and ‘good job’ compliments? It’s not that they are not sincere. I am sure you mean that ‘good job’, but what does ‘good job’ really mean? To preserve the value of your compliments, it all comes down to whether or not they are specific enough that the receiver really understands what you are complimenting --  and whether people can really trust that what you are saying is true and free of a personal agenda.

Sincere and specific compliments are hard work. Most people won’t bother. Finding the right words to describe specifically what you appreciated or valued in someone else’s actions is not easy. It requires paying enough attention to note the behaviors and then finding the words to describe them with the sincerity you feel.

Every time you give someone the gift of your words, remember, the quality of the gift you give is a direct reflection of the quality of character you have.

Let’s stop accepting or giving gold plated placations …

and instead strive to give the kind of compliments that are so specific and tangible that they are remembered forever.

Who will you give a sincere and specific compliment to today?