In our
Day of Development Trainings
, we do an exercise where we ask participants to "Tell me Something Good."
It's a practice you can also use to turn around a constant complainer, energy vampire, negative employee, friend or relative.
You know who I'm talking about. The person who always finds something wrong and wants to tell you about it the second you say hello.
While it's important to connect with others, I'm well aware that it's common practice to avoid the person who is always griping.
So, what do you do?
You don't avoid them. Instead, every time you see them you say, "Tell me something good." They have no choice but to tell you something positive and the more you ask this the more they will expect it from you.
The next step is to ask them, "What's not good?" This gives them the opportunity to share something that isn't right or something that needs attention, a resolution or a solution. Asking this question also lets people know that you are not a fake positive leader who ignores reality but rather someone who wants to make their reality better.
This leads to the third and final question to ask. "How can we make it good?" Or "What will you do to make it good?" This ensures that the previous question doesn't lead to venting or complaining without identifying possible solutions and actions that will empower them.
Looking for the good and turning bad into good is what great leaders do and through these 3 simple questions you can help the people you lead do the same. And in the process, you'll have more engaged, real, meaningful and positive conversations.
- Jon
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