Have you ever noticed how easy it is to point out failures? On the flip side, it is so hard to spill out words of encouragement, pointing out the things that people do well. Why is this?
As a worship leader, there are times when I will be listening to the band play during rehearsal, listening to the details of the music. When I hear something I don’t like, I simply hold up my hand to stop the band, explain what needs to be fixed, and then we go about fixing it.
However, when I hear things I do like - it is really easy to just let the band keep playing and never say a thing about it.
This is something I have been working on for the past few years: double the encouragement for every correction. So, if I correct something, I look for two good things they are doing and point them out.
Now, I need to note here that I never make stuff up to make this happen. If I can only find one good thing, then that is it. However, I actively pursue looking for good things to point out.
It is important to pay attention to the details. Saying “Greg, I really love the unique rhythm you play in the second verse” has much more impact than saying, “Good job!”.
Work hard to make your team know that you appreciate them. It will pay off by creating a super-charged team culture that accomplishes a lot, and enjoys doing it.
