When I was in college I was a student trainer. I think I worked every home football game during my time in college. Several coaches had the wit to come up with one-liners. I remember one instance where a defensive player blew his coverage, thus allowing the opposing team to score. He came off the field, feeling bad about what he'd done, and the coach was talking to him. I don't remember his name, so we'll call him "Ryan". The coach something like this, "Ryan, we both know you blew that play. That doesn't make you a bad person, it makes you a horrible player." The tone of the coach was very calm and conversational. He wasn't up in his face. He just told him like it was. I know I laughed, inside at first, and outside when I told someone else. I wasn't laughing at the player, but at the line.
That really is no way to motivate. Putting someone down may make them mad and fired up, but it doesn't make them better. That brings us to this week's quote...
When you want to encourage a greater sense of responsibility in others (and yourself), emphasize the anticipation of accomplishment, not the penalties for failure. ~ Roger Crawford
Parents, spouses, coaches, supervisors, and employers can all learn from this concept. If you want someone to do something better, showing the positive outcomes more so than the negative.
As you go into the future, think about how you will try to encourage someone to do more with themselves. Whether that "more" is a single situation or an ongoing task. Make them feel good about what they can accomplish rather than feel bad for what will happen if they do not accomplish the task.
Having an environment that has a positive direction will probably affect the morale, too! What a concept to consider!
Make it positive, not negative...then see what results...
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