Effective communication is the lifeblood of your personal and professional relationships. Use these three concepts to access your communication super powers.
🎈 PRAISE
Praise with more intention by acknowledging the strengths of others. Genuine praise creates a positive environment.
➡ Example: Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, often publicly praises his team’s achievements, which fosters a culture of recognition and high performance. During a pivotal project launch, he once praised the engineering team for their innovative solutions during a challenging deadline. By celebrating their hard work, he boosted team morale and inspired further creativity and collaboration.
❓ ASK
Ask more questions. You’ll invite diverse perspectives and create opportunities for growth. Plus you’ll talk less and learn more!
➡ Example: Consider the approach of Indra Nooyi, former CEO of PepsiCo. Known for her open-door policy, she actively encouraged employees to share ideas and concerns. In a town hall meeting, she once noticed a team member hesitating to speak up. Rather than moving on, she stopped and asked for more info. This small act demonstrated her commitment to inclusivity that led to valuable feedback.
🦻🏼 LISTEN
Listen, actively.
➡ Example: Howard Schultz, former CEO of Starbucks, was renowned for his ability to listen to employees. During a company-wide meeting, he actively sought input from baristas about improving customer service. He listened to their firsthand experiences, gaining insights that influenced corporate strategy. By prioritizing listening he made employees feel valued and fostered a culture of trust and collaboration.
Be a super communicator by being your own best “PAL”.
- P = Praise
- A = Ask
- L = Listen
Photo: taken by KCR walking around the courtyard behind Snooze and where she gets manicures 🙂
You always make us recognize the obvious. Thanks for your insights!
Nancy – You’ve nailed it here! The “PAL” trio makes so much sense, but remains underused. I’m going to give you some homework for today – compliment someone sincerely. You’ll make their day and it will bring you joy as well. Thanks for your comment.
I find that “praise” is often fraught with unintended consequences. I often praised the members of my operating team, as a matter of fact I would say “thank you” after every operation. (I learned this at Parkland in the 1980’s) When service was particularly good, I would write a letter to the hospital administration telling them of the exemplary work done by their staff. the problem comes as many of these people then wanted this more often. Or the others would say “why did I not get a letter like the other staff.” The “praise” became expected and finally necessary!
When I get great service I usually write a letter or email to the company involved. I also do this for lousy service. My motto is, how are the owners of the restaurant to know if they had bad food/service if no one tells them.
Respectfully,
Mike Reisman MD
Tampa
Mike – Congrats to you for thanking and praising others. You are way ahead of the game here. You also make a good point about those that “Keep Score” on who gets what recognition. That’s a tough one. You want to sincerely praise those that deserve it. Yet, it can negatively affect others if the praise always goes to the same people. So, it is a dance.