BRINGING OUT THE BEST IN PEOPLE!!!

No matter what you do , people are involved . How to interact , to lead and
to motivate is an ongoing challenge . In short, what can you do to bring out the best in people ?

1. Expect the best from people you lead

Though it may seem obvious, it’s not always the reality . There is a high degree of correlation between what we expect people to do and what they do . From the Pgymalion effect to classroom experiments, examples abound of what happens when we expect the best of people Goethe
said : “ Treat a man as he appears to be, and you make him worse . But treat a man as if he already were what he potentially could be, and you make him what he should be. ”

2 . Make a thorough study of the other person ’s needs

How do you do this ? Ask questions . Don ’ t assume , find out what matters to each individual . Think of a motivational plan as a designer dress or abcustom fitted suit ; both are tailored for the individual . Find out where they have been, where they are going, what’ s important to them as well
as any sore spots. Or, as Zig Ziglar is famous for saying : “ You can get everything in life you want if you just help enough other
people get what they want . ”

3 . Establish High Standards for Excellence

Those who succeed know the pleasure of setting high standards and living up them . What that belief system for excellence is varies from company to company— it may be innovation , quality or a number of other
measures. A strong leader is necessary to develop the culture and create it as the norm. Those who do not buy into it , will leave .

4 . Create an environment where failure is not fatal

People who learn that mistakes or failures are only temporary , are the ones who go on to do great things . Anyone who has ever achieved anything of significance , no doubt made countless mistakes along the way . Indeed , those people who can openly show they risked , failed and then started anew are examples to us all . A very successful businessman I know always says : “ Fail forward fast .

5 . If they are going anywhere near where you want to go , climb on other people ’ s bandwagons

Whether you are talking about parents and children, psychologists and patients or salespeople and their clients , it is far more effective if the person thinks it is their idea . What people say , they believe . If you know
clearly what your goals are, then you can more easily find people with whom to work to realize mutual goals. I put it this way :
“ I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it ”

6 . Recognize and applaud achievement

Acknowledge a person ’ s effort for a task ; be specific in your praise . Rather than say “ you ’ re doing great ” say “ you ’ re doing great because you take such consistent action or you help people to understand why they need to ______” Ken Blanchard, “ The One Minute Manager ” recommends catching people doing “ something right ” and then giving them an immediate compliment . English cleric and writer C . C . Colton said : “ Applause is the spur of noble minds . ”

7. Appeal sparingly to the competitive urge

It seems that inherent in each of us there is a desire to compete . Evidence abounds that we love to play “ games ” and win. When there is a balance of cooperation and competition it is a win- win situation for all.
When taken to excess , people feel manipulated , stab each other in the back, become angry and it becomes destructive rather than productive . The same thing holds true with comparisons ; there ’ s a fine line between using them to criticize or to inspire . Author Burt Struthers says this
about the will to win : “ People are failures , not because they are stupid, but because they are not sufficiently impassioned . ”

8. Place a premium on collaboration

Inherent in each of us is a need to belong . Most of us work best when teamed with at least one other person whether it ’ s on a project or to lose weight . What happens when we work as a group or team is that our resolve strengthens and the support of the group gives the momentum to break through obstacles.

9 . Build into the group an allowance for storms

Learning to work with difficult people is essential to success. The more successful a person is , the more people will resent them and their power . Allow for the differences in people , for inexplicable behavior, disruptive behavior and know ahead of time how you will deal with each . . Open
communication and expecting the best in others go a long way to diffusing potentially volatile situations and troublemakers. Benjamin Franklin offered this sage advice :
“ Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place , but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment. ”

10. Take steps to keep your own motivation high

What is it about certain people that enable them to lead , to inspire others? History shows it ’ s not a matter of looks , education or talent . Some call it charisma while others call it obsessiveness or enthusiasm . No doubt about it , “ enthusiasm is contagious . ” It grabs attention and compels action . To keep yourself up and brimming with energy , with enthusiasm ,
associate with positive people , monitor your self talk , feed your mind and
focus on your goals .
“ Nothing great or new can be done without enthusiasm . Enthusiasm is the fly -wheel which carriers your saw through the knots in the log . A certain excessiveness seems a necessary element in all greatness . ”

Have you either heard of or read “ Bringing Out the Best in People ?” Which one of these principles spoke to you ?
What other tips do you have for bringing out the best in people ? Please comment below.