In one of my training sessions with a school system, I explained to the participants the importance of sincerely complimenting fellow team members.
No matter what your position is, one of the best ways to build your school district is to find the strengths in your employees and fellow staff members and praise them on a regular basis. Whether they admit it or not, from time to time, everyone loves to receive sincere recognition. It doesn’t cost anything to give this, and yet, it can pay huge dividends in the form of productivity.
An easy way to pay a sincere compliment to others is through the use of the SES formula. Let’s take a look at what it is and how to use it.
The first S stands for the word “sincere”. Find something about the person that you can sincerely compliment. It could be something they did, something they own or a personal quality they possess.
The E stands for the word “evidence”. Give some solid evidence that would support what you are saying. It is hard for someone to deny a compliment when you are sincere and give some form of proof of what you are communicating.
The final S stands for the word “short”. Keep you compliment short. The reason for this is twofold; one it is easier to give and two, it is easier for the person to receive it. Most people are uncomfortable receiving a compliment and the easier you make for them to hear it, the better. Once you finish the compliment, move on to another topic or walk away.
An example of how to give a compliment might sound like this: “Mary, nice job on the Smith company report. I say that because it was concise and to the point. Keep up the good work, I will see you tomorrow.”
In summary when we properly pay sincere compliments, it can build good will and help us to feel better too.
Tom Borg is president of Tom Borg Consulting, LLC., a company that specializes in working with public school districts. They show their clients how to attract and retain students and build connections with the business community. For information on our services, please contact us at: 734-404-5909 or visit our website at www.tomborgconsulting.com
