You have probably heard someone talking about “paying someone a compliment” or being “paid a compliment.”
The funny thing is you don’t actually pay anyone anything. No money or goods are ever exchanged.
You don’t ever pay someone a compliment; you give it freely with no expectation of anything in return.
Understanding What Compliments Really Are
A compliment is simply a sincere expression of praise, commendation, or admiration for someone. It might be for who they are and their personal qualities. Or you might be complimenting them for something they are doing or completed, whether at work, home or play.
The fun part about giving compliments is there are ample opportunities all around us to give them to people.
From heading out of your home where you might tell a spouse, partner or child what you love most about them. To arriving at work and expressing your appreciation to a colleague for their positive work attributes that regularly impact you.
When you give a sincere compliment to a person you can boost their morale and positive feelings for the entire day…and even longer!
Give a discouraged individual you see an oft-neglected compliment and you can change their day and even their life around.
Mastering the Art of Giving Compliments
The fascinating thing about compliments is they are so easy to give. And I can guarantee you that giving compliments to people will make both the recipient and you feel good.
Practice giving compliments by giving the next person you see a thoughtful, polite expression of praise or admiration. Look around you!
It takes keen observation skills to notice what deserves a compliment. And it requires developing an inner ability to perceive the feelings of others.
Very few people stop to tell others what they admire about them. Too many people die with the music still in them. Why? Because no one stopped to tell them how good their music was along the way.
Remember with giving compliments that the focus should always be on the other person, the one you are complimenting, and never on you.
March 1st is designated as World Compliment Day. It is a reminder that we should be giving compliments to the people we know and don’t know each and every day.
Brighten someone’s day today by giving them a compliment.
Question: Do you seek opportunities to compliment the people you meet each day?
Roy is no longer writing new content for this site (he has retired!), but you can subscribe to Engage2Excel’s blog as Engage2Excel will be taking Roy’s place writing about similar topics on employee recognition and retention, leadership and strategy.
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