People are a bit like bread dough.
Treat them like they are already rising and they usually puff up to fill the pan.
You have seen this in the wild.
The teacher who looks a kid in the eye and says, “You strike me as someone who asks sharp questions” and suddenly the kid starts sharpening their questions.
The manager who says, “I trust you with this decision” and watches someone quietly grow two sizes taller in their chair.
We like to think we are describing people.
Most of the time we are programming them.
Stay Positive & Every Interaction Is A Tiny Promotion… Or A Tiny Demotion
Garth Beyer is a Certified Cicerone®, Product Marketer, owner of Garth's Brew Bar and a Madison-based freelance writer.
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