Liz Strauss challenged readers to think about changing the world. Hmmm... I was greatly inspired by Ellen Weber's action yesterday... She watched a shrewd manager in a restaurant resolve a tough situation with finesse and no emotion. Ellen followed up by using her unique gifts as an encourager. Here's the scoop ...People waited for a seat at a crowded Quebec-style restaurant heralded by media for its gourmet crepes and cozy ambiance. A young chef, from a minority culture, moved quickly to fill orders, yet the to-do stack grew more thick.
Unfortunately, two recent orders missed the mark leading to customers' complaints. So, waitresses approached the manager and aired pent-up frustration. Imagine yourself as this manager... How would you handle it? Picture this...
The manager quietly walked over and asked the chef to show her the orders in question. He showed her and she reviewed these. She put her arm on his back and smiled as she said, "You're a good chef and work well for us...Maybe I neglected to point out the exact ingredients you need for these crepes." She quickly told him, showed him a card and smiled. She finished by saying, "I may not have explained this well, but you and I are going to make it!"
Ellen Weber honed-in on this exchange. As we left the restaurant, Ellen walked over to the manager and said, "You resolved a tough situation in a brilliant way. You could have told the young man what he did wrong... Yet you chose to team with him in a way that encouraged his work. And, you put part of the problem on your shoulders. What a brilliant approach! Not many have exceptional skill to work with an employee like you did. You used encouragement rather than criticizing his work."
The manager smiled and told Ellen, Your words mean a lot to me... "Traffic's high today and I'm more than frazzled." She kept smiling at Ellen and wiped a tear that rolled from the corner of her eye.
After we put on coats, the woman approached Ellen and said, "I can't tell you enough what you did for me today and she smiled again."
Do your words make a difference?
While encouraging words like "Good job," or a thumbs-up gesture go far, Ellen took encouragement to an amazing level. And she did so by distinctly recognizing this manager's talents by naming what she did. Here's why naming specifics makes a difference when you recognize brilliance in action....It's...
PersonalNaming a person's special expertise takes only a few extra minutes. Why not begin to Change the World in ways Ellen Weber models so well as she encourages people. Try these tactics...
Encouraging
Serotonin-building - enhances secretion of this brain hormone which brings well- being.
Catch someone using their talent wellEncouragement brings serotonin and helps people to become more of who they're meant to be - especially at work.
Describe specifically why the person's approach stands out
Tell how that affects you
Catch someone using talents well today and take time to personalize encouragement. Let us know your results...**change the world graphic by Sandy Renshaw
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