Pep talks are hard. You need to boost your friend’s morale and listen all while not patronising them. Over on The Wall Street Journal, you can find a set of steps that will help you give the best pep talk ever.
A pep talk is a special blend of listening, affirming, and boosting the morale. The Wall Street Journal highlights a few tips:
- Listen: This is probably obvious, but before you start raising the roof, spend some time listening to the person’s concerns, then repeat them back so they feel like they’re heard.
- Affirm: This is the actual pep talk part. Tell your friend they’re great and affirm their strengths. The best kind of pep talk tends to include stuff they already know about themselves. But stay away from cliches like “Time heals” or “you can overcome”.
- Be there: Tell the person you that you believe in them and that you’ll be around if they need anything.
- Know when to stop: This one’s the most important. Give your talk, then shut up. Don’t argue and don’t try to convince them of anything more.
Of course, there are also times when there’s really nothing that can be done. In those cases, the best thing you can do is distract a person. But if they want that pep talk, it’s worth doing.
How to Give the Most Motivating Pep Talk [The Wall Street Journal]
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.