Are others rolling their eyes when you talk? Do you find you are being avoided or ignored? Feeling people don’t particularly enjoy being around you? If yes, you might be the wrong kind of infectious!

Help is here.

In the past several weeks we’ve strategized growing Guide, Good-humored, Gather, Grant, and Gratitude G Factor. This week, GENERATE G Factor is the focus. And during the Covid-19 pandemic, there is massive opportunity to inspire and be infectious (in a good way)!

Strategy 1. WILLPOWER YOUR SUPERPOWER

Evaluate. A 2016 study conducted by Bain & Company found “even one distinguishing strength nearly doubles your chances of being inspiring.” You’ve got to know what makes you special … you’ve got to know your superpower. If you already know, skip ahead to the solution. If you don’t, try this:

  • Ask 2-3 people who respect you WHY they respect you.
  • Ask 2-3 people who like to be around you WHY they like to be around you.
  • Ask 2-3 people who like to work with you WHY they like to work with you.
  • Look for patterns in the answers (if there aren’t any, keeping asking)!

Solution. Put on your superhero cape and summon your superpower. Willpower that superpower and let it be known. Don’t hide it. Use it to inspire and be infectious.

Strategy 2. ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR ASSETS

Evaluate. Most people don’t like having their compliment rejected. You know, you tell someone, “That was a great point you made in our team meeting – it really got us to think differently” and their response is, “No big deal”. Or you say, “You’re so smart” and they respond, “No smarter than anyone here”. Their response is well intentioned, yet it doesn’t inspire. Instead of blowing off a compliment try one of these:

say thank you or thank you because or thank you and

Example: “That was a great point you made in our team meeting – it really got us to think differently.”

Thank you.

Thank you because it took a lot of courage for me to speak up.

Thank you, and so-and-so helped me come up with that idea.

Example: “You’re so smart.”

Thank you.

Thank you because I did a lot of research to figure that out.

Thank you, and so-and-so taught me the tool I used to figure it out.

Now, go out – inspire – be infectious (in a good way) – and tend your Gratitude G Factor!