โGood job!โ
I was somewhere between delusion and limb failure.
More accurately, I was somewhere between mile 12 and mile 13.
This summer I spent a few hours running (hobbling) through the trails at Hanson Hills in Grayling, Michigan. It was part of my ill-advised agreement to participate in a 17-mile trail run.
(Actually 18. I took a wrong turn.)
Throughout the day, a few runners passed me and I passed a few runners. Each time I overtook someone, they shouted the same 2 words:
โ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ท๐ผ๐ฏ!โ
Itโs silly.
- These people didnโt know me.
- They didnโt put any thought into what they were saying.
- They just tossed out 2 tiny words.
But you know what? Those 2 words made a difference.
In 1943, psychologist Abraham Maslow proposed a framework to understand human motivation. Today, most of us are aware of Maslowโs Hierarchy of Needs.
Need a refresher?
Here are the levels, from bottom to top:
1๏ธโฃ Physiological: Food, water, shelter, sleep
2๏ธโฃ Safety: Health, personal security, protection
3๏ธโฃ Love and belongingness: Social interaction, community
4๏ธโฃ Esteem: Recognition, accomplishment, respect
5๏ธโฃ Self-actualization: Pursuing and realizing your unique talents
Right there, smack dab on line 4 is the reason that mindless, โGood job!โ had an impact.
People donโt just want to be admired, to be supported, to be appreciated. These verbal and physical manifestations of love are genuine human needs.
Right next to water, safety, and family โ โGood job!โ
And within Maslowโs Hierarchy, no level provides more benefit for less effort than the fourth.
๐ข๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐บ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ ๐น๐ผ๐-๐ฒ๐ณ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ธ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ-๐ด๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ณ๐ถ๐.
So why do we deny people this admiration?
Every day, multiple times a day, we have opportunities to fulfill a real human need for others. The irony is that the needs that require the most effort, energy, or cost โ the bottom two levels of Maslow's pyramid โ are constants for most of us. Most of us are fortunate enough to have a bed, water, and food.
But plenty of people who have an abundance of those levels are starved for a little bit of recognition, a little bit of accomplishment, a little bit of โHey, I see what youโre doing, keep it up.โ
And what does it cost you to give that recognition?
Not a penny.
My challenge to you (and to myself) is to vocalize every compliment you think about someone for the next month.
Donโt underestimate the outsized impact a few everyday words can have.
Admire, love, and support openly.
Your โGood job!โ might be the push someone needs to keep going.
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Awesome reminder. John Maxwell talks about this in a few of his books on leadership and how he knows some fantastic leaders that compliment someone or something to every person that they approach within 30 seconds or so. Great stuff Iggie!
1000% truth!
Challenge accepted!