Ken Blanchard has written extensively regarding the hundreds of benefits of ‘catching people doing things right.’ The benefits and positive results for all concerned are astounding. If done properly, there is no downside to ‘catching people doing things right.’
Hundreds of benefits… for all concerned… with no downside. Now that is something worth pursuing!
During your normal day, whether at home, at work or wherever you may be, you have literally thousands of opportunities to ‘catch people doing things right.’
It’s simply a choice. Like many people, you can look for and catch people doing things wrong. You can ignore people and their behavior and not catch them doing right, wrong or anything else. Or you can be smart, wise, and effective by consistently looking for opportunities to ‘catch people dong things right.’
People respond positively, in a thousand different ways, to sincere, deserved praise and positive reinforcement. Immediately and over time, virtually all people respond poorly, in a thousand different ways, to criticism and negative feedback.
Consistently look for and focus on catching people doing things right and providing specific, timely praise and positive feedback. Within a short period of time, you will be amazed at how the right decisions, attitudes and behaviors began to dominate and literally crowd-out most of the wrong decisions, attitudes and behaviors.
Another very effective way to think about this powerful concept and way of living and succeeding is to ‘build on people’s strengths.’ To succeed and to help others succeed, you do not build on your weaknesses or other people’s weaknesses. You build on strengths.
Don’t forget one of the most powerful personal development and success concepts in the world. Catch yourself doing things right and appropriately celebrate. No big party. No big deal. Just an immediate pleasurable moment, acknowledging the specific decision, attitude or behavior. An internal moment of personal, positive reinforcement for ‘catching yourself doing things right.’
As I travel the country, I consistently look for wonderful moments and opportunities to catch people doing things right. Since I have trained myself to be on the lookout for such moments, I find them everywhere, everyday. Sometimes I immediately ask to talk to a manager or the person in charge. Almost always, everything changes when I ask to see the manager or person in charge. Smiles become frowns, laughter is silenced, and gloom and doom is immediately in the air. People literally slump and take on a defeated posture.
Why? Because in virtually every case, previous requests to talk to a manager or person in charge means “I did something wrong and I am going to be criticized, shamed or even berated.” You would not believe the immediate, radical change when I begin praising the specific decision, attitude or behavior of this person to his or her manager in a voice loud enough to be heard by other employees.
I have seen people nearly faint in total relief, surprise and amazement that someone would take the time to praise ‘something they did right’ rather than bitch and complain about something they did wrong. It becomes blatantly obviously that these people rarely, if ever, hear words of praise and encouragement.
What a shame! What a waste of potential. What a terrible way to have to work!
Catch people doing things right! The benefits and positive results for all concerned are astounding!
