John Adair's 100 Greatest Ideas for Personal Success

Idea 79: Accentuate the positives

In almost any form of communication – meetings, interviews, public speaking – it is good policy always to start with something positive. It might be a short thanks or repeating the obvious, but it really can smooth the way for results. A negative start always produces a negative response.

Bear this principle in mind if it falls to your lot to offer critical feedback – or constructive advice – to others.

You and I are not the greatest people alive, I know, but we aren't completely useless: there are some positive things about us. Avoid like the plague those people who are colour blind to the positives in you. They only see the negatives, the shades of gray. They have nothing to contribute to you. They are drains, ...