Blake P’s Reviews > How to Win Friends & Influence People > Status Update

If something is easy to correct then people will put more effort into fixing it. Every problem is just a small hiccup, remind people that.

If someone is known for something they’ll try their very to live up to it. If you say they already are, they will become it.

Praise. Praise people when they do a good job. If you want to train a dog you give it a treat when it does good, do the same with people. Be specific in your praise as it shows it isn’t just flattery. Praise motivates and will lead to one’s dreams.

If you need to do something harsh, let the person you’re doing it to save face. There is no point in making someone feel bad about themself. “I have no right to say or do anything that diminishes a man in his own eyes. What matters is not what I think of him, but what he thinks of himself. Hurting a man in his dignity is a crime.”

Giving suggestions as opposed to orders allows one to easily give feedback to a superior/anyone giving suggestions. Ask questions about how they can handle an issue instead of giving them an order to do ____ to fix it.

When criticizing the youngins think of how much more experience you have now than when you were their age. Think of how you made the same mistakes. Humble yourself before you criticize someone, especially a youngin.

Never use the word but after praise. It always signifies that your true motive for praise was to backhand with the but part of your statement. Instead, if you need to point out an issue do it indirectly. Indirectly that doesn’t seem petty or rude but a simple nudge in the right direction.

If you must criticize, start with compliment. Find the good in the bad before identifying the bad.

It’s about the love of the game and the challenge. People do hard things for the challenge and the challenge makes things interesting. If you love the challenged you’ll love the game and go further.