“Flatter me, and I may not believe you.
Criticize me, and I may not like you.
Ignore me, and I may not forgive you.
Encourage me, and I will not forget you.”
William Arthur Ward
Flattering, criticizing, or ignoring people will not bring out their best. Encouraging them will. There are hundreds of ways to encourage people. Listed below are some of the key ways you can encourage others:
- Believe in them even before they believe in themselves.
- Take a genuine interest in them.
- Listen to them.
- Care about them and their successes.
- Ask questions that will clarify their thinking and goals.
- Help them think big and deal with reality at the same time.
- Celebrate improvements with them.
- Identify the habits they need to develop to be successful.
These motivating actions are not easy to do, but they are worth it when you see people grow, develop more of their potential, and succeed.