Human Relations Principle #29: Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.

 

 

(This is the twenty-ninth in a series of articles where I will encapsulate each of Dale Carnegie’s timeless, life-changing principles for dealing with people. (Adapted from How to Win Friends and Influence People.))*

Tell your child, your spouse, or your employee that he or she is stupid or dumb at a certain thing, has no gift for it, and is doing it all wrong, and you have destroyed almost every incentive to try to improve. But use the opposite technique…

  • be liberal with your encouragement,
  • make the thing seem easy to do,
  • let the other person know that you have faith in his or her ability to do it, that he or she has an undeveloped flair for it,

and he or she will practice until the dawn comes in the window in order to excel.

Don’t be the leader or teacher who discourages others by emphasizing their mistakes. Do the opposite. Keep praising the things they do right and minimizing dwelling on the errors. Let them see the innate strengths they possess. Encourage them. Don’t discourage them. Give them hope. Then, deep in their heart, they will eventually begin believing it.

Make them want to improve. Let them discover that learning a new way of doing something can be easy and fun. This revelation can change their whole life.

If you want to help others to improve, use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.

Much success and fulfillment with mastering human relations,

Ray

 

* The best guide on effective human relations that I have ever encountered is How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, published in 1936. Prior to writing the book, Carnegie spent 20 years researching the habits of successful people. The book has sold over 30 million copies and is still listed on Amazon’s top 100 best selling books.

Other articles within this series you may enjoy:

3 Fundamental Techniques in Handling People

6 Ways to Make People Like You

12 Ways to Win People to Your Way of Thinking

9 Ways to Be a Leader:

How to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment

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