Keep It SIMPLE

In "The Awesome Power of Positive Attention," people need to develop. Each of these skills can be seen as a ministry skill - a tool that can be used to connect us with other people. Let's look at each.

Look. When meeting people, establish eye contact. We can see much in people's eyes: moods, emotions, and comfort level, for example. Locking eyes gives focused attention.

Listen. We may hear words but miss their meaning. Listening engages ears, heart, and mind concurrently. By listening, we process the words we hear as well as the tones, inflections, emotions, pauses, even the eye contact of the speaker to help gauge the response needed.

Question. Questions that encourage responses that require reflection help us get to know people and discover what’s happening in their lives. Don't make people feel as if you are an investigative reporter seeking information for a story. Use questions to help you get to know others better.

Touch. Our touch often can bring healing and comfort. Although touching people must be done with care - remember that not everyone wants to be hugged or even touched on the hand because of prior experiences in life - we can provide great comfort with a simple hug or touch on the shoulder.

Affirm. Praise and affirmation can be extremely encouraging for people. People who good at people skill seek opportunities to affirm and praise others for big and small things alike. Make your praise specific, related to some event or activity; descriptive, affirming how something was done well; shared, allowing others to both hear and celebrate the affirmation; and unrestricted, allowing everyone at some time to be publicly praised for good efforts as well as achievements.