More Blessing, Less Cursing (Criticism) in the Workplace

When my mom and stepdad started courting, one of the things I noticed was that he would address waiters & waitresses by the name on their badge, or by the name they introduced themselves by. I always thought it was because my stepdad is a retired dentist and had learned the need to remember names. When I asked him about it, he said, interestingly, that it wasn’t that; it was rather because he’d learned he got really good service when he addressed people by name.

I also have observed him giving good and bad feedback on retail personnel, and it is really, really effective. I’ve made it a practice to periodically compliment people when they help me out. It is a real shock to managers to hear that, and I would dare say that it could be a great witnessing tool.

We live in a world where complaining comes easy. A sincere compliment can make someone’s day!

Yesterday I was having lunch at Chick-fil-A when the mother of a 2 or 3 year old boy walked by. He was in front of her and her hands were full. She simply and quietly said, “Stop” and he immediately complied. As she finished putting her trash in the trashcan I said, “You’re a good mother!” and nodded at her stationary son. I thought she was going to cry. She smiled a huge smile and thanked me for the comment.