Encouragement

By Doug Franklin January 3, 2011

This is my final post about what I am going to focus on in 2011. I want to encourage at a deeper level this year. Encouragement is the most powerful tool I have to grow people. When I tell someone specifically how I see God working in their lives, incredible things happen. Encouraged people work harder, dream bigger and serve longer. If you want to make encouragement part of your focus for the coming year, remember the following:

1. Encouragement needs to be specific.
“Way to go,” and “Good job,” are nice things to say, but if your encouragement to be powerful, be specific. Specify exactly what that person did well. Let them know how their actions helped others, and how their work grows the kingdom. This type of encouragement is memorable and will fuel growth.

2. Never repeat.
Each word of encouragement needs to be for that moment. Don’t repeat yourself over and over. If you repeat it twice, it is not special. Don’t use encouragement as an after thought, but as a true feeling from your heart.

3. Name.
Use the person’s name as you speak. This helps them realize how much thought you put into your words. This helps them know that the words are meant specifically for them, rather than something you say to everyone. Using the person’s name will cause their face to light up.