Understanding The Situation

It is not enough to simply tell someone that they can do it, that you believe in them or to simply to suggest that someone should try something or go somewhere. By themselves, these ideas are not very meaningful or effective. It is essential to understand the underlying situation surrounding the person that you are trying to motivate.

It is much better if you can communicate why you believe that someone is able to accomplish something. Likewise, simply suggesting that someone try something or do something new could have very little effect if you do not know anything about them or their situation. It just becomes an idea that they will soon forget. But, if you demonstrate that you understand what they are interested in and communicate how it would be valuable for them to try doing it, there is a better chance that they will listen.

I recently had the opportunity to explain to a friend why they should make a budget. I had to be aware of and deal with the fact he views financial matters as being very complex and difficult, as well as not thinking it is very important. I was able to clarify that it really was simple, you basically have to break down costs and income. I also was able to explain that it really would be beneficial to him to have an accurate sense of how much money he can realistically spend. This all made sense to him, and he understood well because there were some bigger things that he was thinking about purchasing but wanted to know whether or not he could afford them.

This was an improvement for me because I was able to apply knowledge about someone’s situation in order to craft a message that relevantly applied to their situation and was able to grab their attention. I will continue to try and be aware of what might be helpful to say and what may be irrelevant or distracting depending on the person.