Inspirational Information

Encouragement--Heart At Work


Encouragement can have a very powerful effect on bosses and co-workers. The literal meaning of the word, encourage, is to put heart into. When this definition is applied to work situations, it suggests:

  • Stirring, inspiring and motivating bosses and co-workers with hope, courage and confidence.

  • Giving team members a vote of confidence.

  • Boosting morale by expressing approval and offering support to others in the office.

  • Lifting people up and moving them to do the things they need to do to achieve company and career objectives.

  • Empowering direct reports and peers to grow professionally and reach their full potential.

  • Stimulating cooperation and collaboration between work units, departments or the company as a whole.

Encouragement & Failure

Everyone needs encouragement. Bosses and co-workers alike face difficult situations and make mistakes or fail on a daily basis. They need help to cope with disappointment, fear, doubt and uncertainty. It has been said, "A word of encouragement during a failure is worth more than an hour of praise after success" (Anonymous).

Even if people act tough-as if they are successfully handling the overwhelming emotions that accompany a mistake, don't believe it! Somewhere deep inside, they are awash in despair with intense feelings of fear about having made yet another blunder or slip-up.

What they desperately need is someone like you to come alongside them and encourage them for trying even in the face of failure?someone who really cares about them?who accepts and acknowledges them by helping to keep their self-esteem intact in spite of the failure.

Put Heart into Others at Work

Encouragement is one of the easiest yet greatest work tools available to boost a boss or co-worker's self-esteem. When we put heart into others at work, we lead them to achieve greater things than they ever thought possible. Here are 10 tips to help you be an On-the-Job Encourager:

  • Show others at work that you care! Exert a positive influence on their work lives by giving them encouragement just because?

  • Deliberately look for small ways to encourage others verbally, in writing or through your own behavior towards them.

  • Act as a cheerleader or a fan club member for a co-worker or boss. Tell them, "I know you can do this?"

  • Reassure team members after a disappointment or setback.

  • Prompt your direct reports and peers to try new things or pursue new opportunities.

  • Offer to help co-workers recover from a disappointment or failure. Give them a shoulder to cry upon when appropriate.

  • Value and accept your co-workers as they are and don't put conditions on accepting them.

  • Help others in the office to believe in themselves. Point out their positive character traits and how these can lead to success in the future.

  • Recognize the efforts and improvements co-workers make especially after a mistake.

  • Show appreciation for the contributions of every team member in your office.

    • Select someone you can put heart into at work today! Make an effort to be an On-the-Job Encourager!

    Althea DeBrule, entrepreneur and seasoned human resources executive, has focused for more than 30 years on helping people achieve their career goals. Creator of The Extreme-Career-Makeover? and a founding partner of RADSGroup Organizational Consultants, she is recognized for her bottom line and practical application of career development and management strategies in a way that penetrates hearts and compels action. She speaks and teaches with inspired talent, humor and contagious zeal at management conferences and leadership retreats nationwide, and has been featured in CFO Magazine, Strategy@Work, Human Resource Executive Magazine. Althea is the author of Bosses & Orchards, a compelling and candid book about how to make your work relationship with your boss succeed. To discover how you can take your career to a new level, visit http://www.extreme-career-makeover.com/

    MORE RESOURCES:
    Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting     		RELATED ARTICLES
    Flight Delay
    Direct Answers - Column for the week of October 6, 2003It took me eight years after my husband died to try a relationship, and now I am thinking maybe I should never have tried.Over a year ago I met Jay.
    How To Weather Lifes Inevitable Storms
    In the Northeast, we have a few months to prepare for winter by gathering firewood, securing windows and doors, and getting furnaces cleaned. As with any change, there is always a period of adjustment required.
    Why Are We So Lost? The Journey Home
    Did you ever wonder how you ended up where you are in your life? Is life a culmination of a series of very carefully planned moves or a hodge podge of serendipitous events? Of course as we get to know ourselves better, our radar becomes more finely tuned. Our intuition develops and we become more secure with our inner knowing.
    Alone But Not Lonely
    In today's fast paced society, we've become accustomed to filling the eeriness of silence with fluff. We turn to many distractions as a means of escaping feelings of idleness or boredom.
    The Research Sector
    Kevin had worked as a barber at The Clipper Joint for the past five years. He has dreams of opening his own barbershop one day.
    A Perspective on Life!
    All of our lives we always seem to direct our concern toward attempting to conclude our life path or destiny in this lifetime without really knowing or understanding what this means to us. In reality the importance lies not in trying to determine our life path or destiny, but, in effect of how much growth we accomplish within one lifetime.
    Garbage In Its Place
    There is nothing worse than seeing garbage blowing down the street of your neighborhood, or finding broken shards of glass at the local swimming hole where children play. Wildlife is just as vulnerable to garbage and many have lost their lives after becoming tangled in waste or mistaking garbage for food.
    Anamchara - Making Sense of Life
    Many successful persons advise you start your day with a list of what you intend to do and achieve during your day. This is extended to include a week.
    The Cracked Pot
    Letters on Life#3Some experiences you never forget. In some of them there is great learning.
    Three Amigos
    I feel rather foolish writing this letter, but I need help. I am a 67-year-old man living on social security.
    Do You Feel Headed For Shipwreck?
    The ocean liner Achille Lauro sailed perpetually under a dark cloud. In 1953 it collided with another ship.
    Create Your Own Self Esteem - Part 2
    The good part of this story is that there is now hope to end and effectively reverse the effects of all negative emotions that we individually and collectively experience in our lives. Now we come back to the word reversal I spoke about earlier.
    The Angels on My Path
    I'm leaving on a TV tour in a few weeks. I'm going to be on the road.
    Building Bridges, Not Walls!
    Only twenty years ago, people would casually stroll the neibourhood, stop and chat with each other or walk down the street and greet you cordially. Nowadays people walk at a very fast pace and for the most part just walk past you looking at the ground lost in their own thoughts.
    Need A Boost? Take a Look at How Far Youve Come
    Too many of us are too hard on ourselves, always alert to that devilish voice whispering "you should be farther along in life". Smother that voice right now by reading this quote by Booker T.
    What is the Meaning of Life?
    A young man in search of enlightenment had traveled to Tibet at great expense and more than a little consternation amongst his family and friends. It was a week before he was allowed to speak with a red-capped administrator of the Dalai Lama's personal staff; in the meantime he enjoyed the wondrous sights of the Himalayas.
    Second Thoughts? Think Again!
    Life is perfect. If you have read these articles long enough, you have seen this written in several different forms and ways.
    Just Let 'Em Go!
    I remember when I was just a little guy probably about 4 or 5 years old, I was fascinated by snakes. Not any particular type of snake - just snakes in general.
    Everyone Has Been Hurt..... Part 5
    Continued..
    You Dont Find All Drunks in the Gutter: The Story of a Functional Alcoholic!
    Today, August 22, 2005, I am clean and sober for eight years which simply means today I am still an alcoholic and on this day I will choose not to pick up a drink. If you look at me today and compared my appearance to eight years ago you probably would not notice much difference (with the exception of a few more wrinkles).

    home | site map | contact us