What is one of the first things you focus on when you look at a piece of art or a photo you have done? Frequently we find the “mistake,” – what I did wrong. We even tend to do it when we look at someone’s post we see in a blog or on IG.

This got me to thinking of my days as a management seminar speaker. Sadly, the default style for most new mangers, and for too many long-time mangers who never learned differently, is to focus on what an employee is doing wrong. “You did a good job, but…”

Ken Blanchard wrote one of the best selling and effective books on management ever – “The One Minute Manger.” His core concept was, “Catch people doing it right.” Recognize what a person is doing correctly and they will try to do more. This works with our critiquing of art as well as for management, parenting – or most any interaction with people.

There was a mom at a seminar one day who had a teen daughter. She told me her daughter would not keep her room clean, that she had tried everything, nagging, threatening, and such, yet nothing seemed to work. So I suggested she try a different approach. “For one month never say a word to your daughter about her mess or failure to put things away. Instead, every time she picks something up and does put it away acknowledge it. Don’t be effusive and for goodness sake not sarcastic, just a calm thanks for doing that.” She replied, “her room will be a mess.” I pointed out that it already was a mess so what did she have to lose?

A few weeks later I received an email from the mom. “I tried what you suggested and it worked, her room is usually pretty well picked up now, thanks.” When you catch people doing it right, they appreciate it. We have plenty of management research supporting the importance of recognizing performance; it even works at home.

If you post a sketch on Instagram and someone says I liked it, “but, you should have …” are you motivated to try their suggestion? I doubt it. In another post one day I may discuss how to give suggestions.

So here is my challenge to us sketchers, and photographers: for the next thirty days, when you look at something you have done, resit the urge to find fault, instead make a note, mental or written, of what you did well. A month from now we will all be doing better, and we sure won’t miss the self flagellation that comes so easily. And of course I would love to hear how it turns out.

Give it a try, what is something I did well on this sketch?