"To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved"

I'm not sure how many of us will agree to this. However, I feel that the one of the most important ingredient for a better organization, team, personal life is "Compliment"

We have a lot of people around us who are not self driven. Compliments are one of the most extraordinary components of social life. If given right they create so much positive energy that they make things happen almost as if by magic. They ease the atmosphere around two people and kindly dispose people to each other. Of course, there is a way to give them. And, just as important, a way to receive them. And everyone needs to know how to do both.

Compliments derive from taking notice of praiseworthy situations and efforts. So they are a mark of awareness and consciousness. We need to cultivate awareness of the good developments that are all around us. Focusing on and noticing the good qualities in the world around us gives our moods a boost all by itself. Plus, it is a kind of cognitive training, a training of attention. In addition, compliments amplify positivity; they not only deliver positive effects to others, those effects bounce back on us, ramping up the positive atmosphere we breathe.

The art of the compliment is not only a powerful social skill; it is one of the most fundamental. You don't need to be an expert to do it well. You just need to be genuine. Compliments are in fact one of the finest tools for acquiring more social skills, because the returns are great and immediate. They escalate the atmosphere of positivity and become social lubricants, fostering the flow of conversation and advancing communication by enhancing receptivity.

Because compliments make the world a better place, everyone needs to learn how to compliment. For starters, they must be genuine. The more specific they are, the better. "The way you handled that question at the meeting was brilliant. You really refocused the discussion onto our plans."

Compliments work best when they are forthright and not incidental. So you need to clear a little space for a compliment and deliver the praise as a statement. Compliments on appearance are fabulous for making people feel good and help put people at ease. But they don't work in situations where appearance isn't an issue. Telling a colleague she looks fabulous is always good, except in a meeting about strategic planning or anything else.