How do you help someone know that you value them and want to encourage them?
What is your go-to method for positively impacting someone?
Chances are, you do this in ways others have encouraged and positively impacted you. Perhaps it’s through a conversation (one-on-one time), a note (email or handwritten), or a gift (a small token of appreciation).
All of the above examples are good ways to recognize and appreciate someone – and truthfully, they are ways that I appreciate people weekly.
However, there is one way to positively impact and encourage someone that is even more significant. And – it’s something you can do every day!
What is it?
Well, I’ll get there in a second – but first, let me describe why this method is so powerful.
When you genuinely want to encourage someone, you must first value them and their contribution. You also recognize that they have dignity, hopes, dreams, and feelings.
They have put hard work, sweat, and effort into doing something or being something for the team.
And at the end of the day, what does any hard-working person want more than anything else?
It is to be known, loved, and appreciated.
So, how can you know, love, and appreciate someone well? You do this by listening to and understanding them more fully.
Sam Walton said, “Asking and hearing people’s opinions has a greater effect on them than telling them, ‘Good job.’”
One secret weapon for positively impacting someone is to listen with the intent to genuinely understand someone.
When someone feels heard, understood, and appreciated – they will remember that feeling long after the “good job” has worn off.
And according to David Augsberger, listening has another powerful byproduct. Augsberger says, “Being heard is so close to being loved that, for the average person, they are almost indistinguishable.”
Listening is an act of love and a powerful demonstration of the value you place on others.
By listening, you affirm the value, worth, and dignity of someone.
So, who needs your encouragement today?
Who will you invest in by taking a moment to listen to and understand?
Remember, as you lend someone your ear, you share with them your heart.
