Begin with praise and honest appreciation.
Interpretation
Start with positive reinforcement to create a supportive environment for feedback or improvement.
Dale Carnegie emphasizes the importance of beginning any interaction, especially those involving criticism or requests for change, with genuine praise and appreciation. This approach fosters goodwill and opens up the recipient to respond positively, making them more receptive to further discussion and feedback.
In practice
During a team meeting to discuss project improvements, you can open by acknowledging everyone's hard work and dedication.
When I asked him -Mr.Henry Ford- if he ever worried, he replied: "No. I believe God is managing affairs and that He doesn't need any advice from me. With God in charge, I believe that every-thing will work out for the best in the end. So what is there to worry about?
Take a chance! All life is a chance. The man who goes farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare.
By talking to yourself about the things you have to be grateful for you can fill your mind with thoughts that soar and sing.
It isn't what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about.
I can look back at my own life and see where a few words of praise have sharply changed my entire future. Can't you say the same thing about your life?
Instead of worrying about what people say of you, why not spend time trying to accomplish something they will admire.
If you look to lead, invest at least 40% of your time managing yourself - your ethics, character, principles, purpose, motivation, and conduct. Invest at least 30% managing those with authority over you, and 15% managing your peers.
Even though worker capacity and motivation are destroyed when leaders choose power over productivity, it appears that bosses would rather be in control than have the organization work well.
When people respect someone as a person, they admire her. When they respect her as a friend, they love her. When they respect her as a leader, they follow her.
In the discharge of the duties of this office, there is one rule of action more important than all others. It consists in never doing anything that someone else can do for you.
I remember teaching a clinic to other coaches, and a guy raised his hand and asked if I had any advice when it came to coaching women. I leveled him with a death-ray stare, and said, 'Go home and coach basketball.'
People really are our most important resource, and people who don't realize that and choose not to live that way, choose not to lead that way, are paying a price for that in many of our companies, many of our organizations.
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