62/366 – ” What kind of encouragement do you respond best to? ”

Yesterday, my friend and I debated which kind of encouragement was most helpful.

I came from the perspective that being kind rather than nice, asking the hard questions, and challenging any generic non-answers to help people uncover new insights about themselves was the superior strategy.

She championed the approach of being sweet and supportive, patient and understanding, and bringing the unconditional belief that whatever they wanted to accomplish was possible.

By the end of the debate, neither had convinced the other. We realized that we simply had different communication styles, and how we encouraged our friends was closer to immutable aspects of our personality rather than a choice.

Furthermore, how we preferred to communicate mattered less than what the receiver of the encouragement actually needed to hear.

The right process is never universal. It always depends on the situation and the desired outcome.

#365Questions