It Only Takes A Second

Have you every been in a position of sitting down and reviewing a project produced by someone who was the point person on it?  You probably have.  Now the next question – in addition to giving your feedback, did you ever take the time to say, “Thanks for this” or “Great design”?

My bet is that the vast majority of the time you didn’t and you focused all your attention on providing your input without regard to the time and commitment involved.  It would take less than a minute to add, “Thanks for doing this, ” or, “These all look good.” 

One can only guess why others are quick to criticize, but slow to praise. Maybe they are too busy to take the time to say something nice. It could be that they think the person on the other end knows they are doing a good job.  It is my experience that this is not always the case.

The bottom line is – take a minute (or less) to show your appreciation for others’ efforts and achievements.

Also, during your review/critique constantly ask yourself before you speak out, “Am I opening my mouth to contribute or to contaminate?”

Lastly, from a team dynamic perspective, this old adage rings true – “You can gather more bees with a bit of honey then you can with a barrel of vinegar.”