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Effort is the currency exchanged for skill.
Should you come across those who are not skilled in what they’re attempting to do, analyze the effort they put into becoming skilled in that domain.
The path toward becoming skillful is not pretty or fun. People fail, people misstep, and people fall off of cliffs to get to the top of their mountain of choice. Respect those who put effort into becoming skilled. Those who ask questions, notice details, and kick themselves over their performance are on the right path toward developing skill.
They are thinking about the matter at hand, developing patterns, and sculpting grooves to their execution. Knocking someone for putting effort into becoming better at their chosen domain is a discouraging thing to do.
This article hopes to raise a few points as to why that is.
Attempted Robbery
Should you knock the effort someone puts into becoming skills in a particular domain, you’re attempting to rob them of achievement. When criticizing someone’s performance, always acknowledge and protect the effort they’ve put into it. It’s okay to criticize on technicalities, but you should try to compliment the more immeasurable traits like effort, honestly, nobility, and respect. The incidence of these traits shows us that those we are watching are wise in understanding but a beginner in the skill they possess.
Do not attempt to rob someone of future accomplishment by downplaying or ignoring the effort they’re putting into a craft. Their respect for a craft should be commended, as well as their honest analysis of their own skills.
Encourage skill development in others by encouraging the traits that lead to building skills. Effort is a critical one; merely mentioning others’ efforts goes a long way in keeping their motivation to get better at proper levels. We hold those who support us early in our journey toward improvement in high regard. These people take somewhat of a risk by encouraging us, as they can be encouraging us to venture on the path to failure.
Nobody likes being associated with those who consistently fail in their pursuits, so taking that risk is a scary thing. Should you take that risk and support someone who is struggling within a particular domain at the current time, they will seek to reward you once they become skilled and see success.
This is why we remember the great teachers in our lives. They show us respect, believe in our coming successes, and are rewarding of the effort we put into learning. Should you put in effort into learning a particular subject, a good teacher will always recognize that effort and reward you for it.
Your Own Growth Depends on Complimenting Others’ Efforts
Your students will one day pass you by in skill, understanding, and performance. No matter what the subject, you should root for the success of those who learn from you. Encouraging the efforts of others allows them to see you as a mentor of sorts. They’ll respect what you have to tell them because they respect you for showing faith in their growth.
Should they surpass you in skill and understanding down the line, they will be as lenient with their own knowledge as you were with your support for them. To pay you back, they will feel a desire to give you things of as much value as your support was for them. The most valuable being knowledge, understanding, and lessons from their journey toward becoming skilled.
You will grow should you reward the efforts others put into becoming great. Many lessons will present themselves that would not exist should you have not supported someone at the right place and time. One person has the capacity to change our lives.
Play the numbers game and encourage everyone around you to attain success. Be honest with your acts of rewarding their effort, and be honest in your faith in their success. Rather than the shutting of doors and closing of windows, you’ll find yourself amidst a culture of openness, understanding, and genuine reciprocity.