Praise the effort where the result was bad
A young person who worked hard and failed will be told the result was disappointing by everyone else.
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Why it lands
Results get all the commentary, and a teenager who revised properly and still got a poor grade receives the same response as one who did nothing. The lesson learned is that effort is not observed, only outcomes, which is exactly the belief that stops people trying difficult things. Naming the effort specifically, when the result did not justify it, is the version that counts.
How
Be concrete about what you actually saw: “You worked every evening for three weeks. I watched you do it.” Do not attach it to reassurance about next time, which turns it into a pep talk about the result again.
Answer if you want. It changes which ideas are shown first.
What happened when someone did it
Told them to keep at it since the result doesn't negate their hard work.
Ravi
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