For the rest of the summer, we will feature Respect Tips inspired by the Why Respect Matters section of the recently released Respect Effect by Paul Meshanko.

The other day when I got into the elevator in our office building there were two other women already in there. One of the women had on a brightly colored blouse that I admired. I told her so.

Her entire face lit up and she started beaming as she smiled broadly. She graciously said, “thank you.” We continued chatting till she exited.

While I had never met the woman before, I certainly endeared myself to her with just one simple and sincere verbal compliment. After I stepped off the elevator, I realized that my mood had shifted and I was feeling more energized. Apparently, her enthusiastic verbal and non-verbal reaction even affected me!

Make it a priority

Try to give at least one verbal compliment a day. It could be to a stranger, like in my case, but better yet, try it with a colleague. Not only will they end up feeling respected but you will also get a positive mood boost too!