Making Deposits

Janet’s post about acknowledging our strengths and the strengths of those around us made me think about a training class I took when I was a new leader. The coursework made an analogy between leadership and managing a bank account that Steven Covey was to use years later: just as you cannot make a withdrawal from a bank account until you have made sufficient deposits into that account, you cannot expect subordinates to be receptive to your criticism (your “withdrawals”) until you have made sufficient “deposits” by recognizing what they are good at and the contribution they are making.

So often leaders, in the workforce or in a family, focus on the mistakes of others, believing that, in doing so, they are helping them to improve and become better. What may happen, instead, is that people become resentful of the person finding fault in them, sometimes arguing the point rather than seeking to improve.

When the leader takes the time to really get to know a person, realize how important their contribution is and come to know what their strengths are, then acknowledges those strengths and contributions, the leader builds a foundation of trust and credibility. When the time comes to examine areas of growth and improvement, the person is much more receptive to the input, believing that the leader understands his/her strengths and is truly striving to help him/her to improve and grow.

Questions to ponder: Are you making enough deposits into those around you? Or are you, with best intentions, jumping too quickly into “constructive” criticism?