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!
That is something I always try to do. I am very observant as to what people are wearing and if I see someone dressed in a attractive or stand out piece of clothing I comment. I found that it is an excellent “ice-breaker”, even if only for the moment!
Thanks for the comment, Pat! I agree it is the perfect “respectful” ice-breaker. It really does help to lighten a mood too.
Wonderful idea Melanie. It’s so important for people to realize that we all need to feel valued and important. I love the idea of moving away from always correcting and pointing out flaws to building people up with a thoughtful compliment.