Making a Contribution

• Research shows that well functioning relationships feature about a 3 to 1 ratio between positive comments and criticisms. You want people to come to you because they know that you listen, offer valuable input, and are diplomatic about how you offer it. Recommendations are likely to be received better than orders. Your praise and critiques need to be specific as possible to be valuable. If people are using you as a sounding board, help them get through their story. If they get stuck, consider finishing a sentence, but don’t do that too often. You may have to ask a few questions along the way to fill in any missing background information. Good questions can also help the speaker clarify their thoughts.

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