Principle 29: Encourage. Make the Fault Seem Easy to Correct

To help people get over the obstacle of change, we should let them know we have faith in their abilities and their chances of success. Praise their good points, minimize their faults, and be generous with our encouragement so they will practice the necessary skills and excel.

If we tell our children, spouses, or employees that they are stupid or bad at a certain thing, have no gift for it, and are doing it all wrong, we strip them of any motivation to improve. If instead, we use the opposite technique and openly encourage them as they take steps toward improvement, we'll inspire a much higher level of motivation to continue.

Carnegie offers an example of a boy who was struggling with algebra. His father made flashcards for him, and every night his father would time him on how long it took for him to get all of the cards right. Their goal was to do it in under eight minutes.

The first night, it took 52 minutes. The boy thought he'd never get there! But every time he knocked off a few minutes - 48, then 45, 44, 41 - they would call in his mother and the three would celebrate and dance a little jig. This gave the boy the motivation to keep improving, and even made it fun, until he got so good that he hit his goal and did it in eight minutes.

Practice Principle 29

Rather than simply telling someone they're goal is out of reach, find ways to encourage small victories when possible. These smaller compliments can help make room for sharing guidance while keeping them inspired.

Whether these small victories come in the form of eating reese's pieces every time a work task is complete or dancing a jig when your song gets a math, recognizing progress can go a long way.