3 Tips to Help you Search for the Good in Others

You’ve seen them. You’ve been around them. You’ve probably had one of them. Heck,  maybe you’ve been one; the leader that for some reason or another never finds the good in others. Instead of searching for the good in others they search for everything bad. Do they find it? You bet they do! Often times the leader doesn’t even realize that’s what he or she is doing.

It’s not easy. Let’s face it, being a leader means you are going to have a “people problem” or two to deal with from time to time. You can get to the point to where every employee who ask to talk to you is seen as another people problem!  Those you lead can quickly become the enemy and as a result you could have a hard time searching for the good in others and instead find their faults leaving them uninspired and driving them to failure.

Leaders who effectively search for the good in others and recognize it, find that they create more highly motivated and loyal followers, teams, departments and organizations. My own experience has shown that people love positive leaders and want to do everything that they can to please them.

Here are 3 tips to help you search for the good in others and help you become a more effective leader.

1. Catch people doing good. There are a variety of ways you can do this as a leader. It’s not uncommon to find managers, for example, walking the floor looking for the negative. How about you designate a time each day to walk the floor searching for the positive – catching people doing good and rewarding them. You could also enlist the help of others by designating a day, like “Find the Good in Others” Friday. On on that particular day you capture (on a poster or site, for example) all the good that is being done by others.  

2. Ask and Listen. Seems obvious, but maybe isn’t so obvious. But asking others what they are doing well and asking what others are doing well is one of the quickest and most effective ways to find the good in others.

3. Talk about the good in others. Every one on one, every meeting, every interaction is an opportunity to talk about the good things people are doing. What you talk about will eventually be what you think about and what others will eventually begin to think and talk about on your team, in your department and/or in your organization. The tone is set at the top. 

What other things have you done to find the good in others? What creative things have you done to catch people doing good? We would love to hear what you have to say. Please comment below. Thanks!

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