Last week we had our biannual Thought Leaders ball, this time we had it on a boat on Sydney harbour. The forecast thunderstorms held off and we ended up with a spectacular sunset as our boat sailed (if a boat without sails can sail) under the Sydney Harbour Bridge and past the Sydney Opera House.

The scene was spectacular ... although not quite as spectacular as my wife Trish did in her dress that she bought for the occasion. Which unfortunately I neglected to tell her until she asked.

So, as a public service announcement to anyone out there who is in a relationship, I'm going to fall on my sword and share my lesson.

We were heading to the ball and Trish asks me if she looked nice. I replied that she looked amazing (she seriously did). She said that it would have been nice if I'd said something before she asked.

I said I did ... you bought the dress last week, you showed it to me, I told you that you looked amazing in it. And then I thought … "So am I meant to say that every time you wear the dress, not just the first time?"

Turns out I am.

The lesson for everyone playing along at home is if your partner makes an effort to look nice and they pull it off, tell them. Every time.

Likewise, if someone in your practice (your team or your clients) does something that you appreciate, it might be smart to tell them more than once.