Looking to finally get your beau’s or belle’s attention, passive-aggressively insult a co-worker, or just genuinely brighten someone’s day? Jo Power of Things by Bean, has some tips for you.
Not confined in their usefulness to merely bolstering bonds and acting as an antidote to awkward situations – the humble compliment has been shown to lead to success by helping people perform at their best in the workplace, increase resilience to stress, disease and burnout, and stimulate the same areas of the brain that a cash bonus would. Not so humble anymore, eh?
Though a basic manoeuvre, nailing the art of the compliment is not quite as easy as it seems. Here’s a brief rundown of how to compliment for maximum impact.
Compliment tips:
- Be specific – the more specific the compliment, the more meaningful it is. Specific compliments prove that you’re really paying attention and appreciating some aspect of the person rather than complimenting by force of habit or for ulterior motives.
- Get creative! Compliments don’t have to be given verbally or face-to-face. Getting creative with compliments requires a little more effort and in turn, will be appreciated more. Give someone a card, plant compliments throughout their daily routine or use the voice memo app on your phone to record a compliment and text the audio file to bae.
- Inject some humour! While there’s a time and a place for serious, heart-felt compliments, everyone wants to have a good laugh. Chuck a few punny positive comments at your buddy or co-worker next time you see them and reap the reward of watching their mood improve. Plus, studies show that the happiness cultivated in receiving a compliment can reflect back to the donor, so they’re good for all involved!
In a pinch? Try out these one-liners next time you need a compliment on the fly.
For that beau or belle you have your eye on:
- “You have very nice hair and an excellent taste in music.”
- “I wish you were rice so there would be lots and lots of you.”
- “You make me want to succeed, so I can get a stable job to support you, our three human children and multiple fur children.”
For that colleague who borrowed your pen and never returned it:
- “Your hair looks really nice today. Did you finally brush it?”
- “Wow! What a nice pen!”
- “I LOVED that presentation you gave today – if only I could take notes. Truly riveting, you’re SO intelligent!”
For your pals:
- “I sincerely appreciate you as a friend and hope you succeed in everything you do in life.”
- “You give me resting happy face.”
- “I’m really glad you were born.”
Any one of these is bound to make someone smile, even if it’s just an innocent bystander who is lucky enough to observe your paralysing awkwardness.
PS you look gorgeous today!
