Today we woke up to news of one of most famous news anchors being fired for sexual misconduct.
In the wake of this, many people are asking about the protocol for giving compliments.
Is it OK to compliment someone’s looks that you work with? Do we live in a world where we have to contemplate every single word that comes out of our mouth?
I hate to think that we can’t tell someone that they look nice – that their new outfit is killer. If someone clearly got their hair cut, I want to note how great it looks. Compliments are a beautiful thing and they can make someone’s day brighter.
However, people are much more than the shell they walk in. How about complimenting them on a project they worked on? About how they were really helpful to you? About their spunk or humor or any other positive qualities that are not physical?
On the flip side, how often are you criticizing someone? Whether it’s your co-worker, employee, friend or spouse, do you have a habit of pointing out the negative? How can you catch yourself from “uncompliments” and turn that into an opportunity to offer some kind words.
I’m confident that we will learn about more offenders who have crossed a line and made someone feel uncomfortable or worse. We should learn from these incidents and think about how we communicate. Use these darker times to improve who you are.
What do you think about compliments? Do you like t