Effective and meaningful engagement has a positive impact on both personal and organizational growth. One of the key drivers to effective and meaningful engagement is encouragement. Simply put, encouragement and engagement go hand-in-hand. When encouragement is offered in an authentic manner, it produces three specific values that lead to improved engagement. These values include: Self-Esteem. Encouragement lessens self-doubt. When self-doubt is high, engagement is inhibited.  This is typically a result of the false belief that a person’s value is limited. Encouragement provide the opportunity for a person's self-esteem to improve by offering them a perspective of value.  The value of high self-esteem needs to be never underestimated.  When a person is encouraged, and when self doubt is lessened, the opportunity to create effective and meaningful engagement increases. Performance. When performance is in a slump, engagement lags.  In a nutshell, encouragemen

Praise-based feedback is a "tremendous and significant" driver in the engagement process. Praise-based feedback, when meaningfully and effectively delivered, can open the doors to engagement that might otherwise be closed or remain closed. Delivering meaningful and effective praise based feedback communicates "value" to the person receiving recognition, "awareness" of the positive attributes of their actions, and "gratitude" for what is being done. The result of meaningful and effective praise based feedback is encouragement that opens the doors to engagement. In order to meaningfully and effectively deliver encouraging praise based feedback, the following three keys must be in place: Observation. Effective and meaningful praise is built strictly from observation. When praise is delivered, cite a specific example or series of examples that have been observed. (Example: "I appreciate how kind you are to our guests. S

Types of feedback on performance. There are two types of feedback on performance. First is "opportunity-based feedback" and the other is "praise-based feedback." Both, when effectively and authentically delivered, can drive the engagement process to more meaningful levels. Effectively and authentically delivering "praise-based feedback" communicates the following: Value. When praise-based feedback is offered it communicates a message of value to the person receiving recognition.  The primary message delivered is that others are "valuable and worth recognition." Awareness. When praise-based feedback is offered it communicates awareness to the actions and behaviors of the person receiving recognition.  The primary message delivered is that "what is being done" is being noticed and it is not going unrecognized. Gratitude. When praise-based feedback is offered it communicates gratitude to the person receiving

Encouragement and engagement go hand in hand. Encouragement creates the opportunity to engage. While encouragement may begin as a “one-way” or “outbound” affirmation of another person, it has an unseen, yet powerful transformative ability. Encouragement can tear down well built and emotionally rationalized, invisible walls. It can also open tightly sealed and emotionally rationalized, invisible doors. What often begins as one way affirmation can quickly lead to a two-way relationship building transaction of significant value. The unseen force. Encouragement, when genuinely offered to another: Serves as an affirmation that raises self-awareness. Creates an opportunity to accept increased risk taking. Communicates a strong sense of value. Creates and allows for emotional connectivity. When people are affirmed, and they believe they have value, the likelihood of increased emotionally connectivity and meaningful engagement grows exponentially. Simply put, enco