was first published in 1937. It became an international bestseller almost over night. The book was on the NY Times best seller list for over 10 years. At the time, there were very few self-help books on the market. In his book, Mr. Carnegie reveals thirty principles to live by. Many of the principles seem like common sense like Principle # 5 - Smile and Principle # 9 - Make the other person feel important. My favorite is Principle #1 - Don't criticize, condemn, or complain. All week I have been trying very hard not to criticize my children or complain about their messy habits. They are great kids and I don't tell them that often enough.

 

During my executive coaching sessions, I have observed that many business executives criticize their employees too often instead of providing positive, constructive feedback. When was the last time that you provided positive feedback to one of your team members? Make a commitment today to provide positive feedback every day to somebody; your spouse, your co-worker, your boss, or a clerk in the candy store. Find something that is good and kind and true to share with another human being. Instead of condemning people, let's try to understand where they are coming from.