Praise—and How to Give It Right
Lots has been written about how much to praise kids. If you’re a parent, teacher, coach, or someone who spends a lot of time with kids, you probably have strong opinions on the subject. But what about the use of praise at work?
First of all, don’t confuse praise with flattery. Praise is the offering of favorable judgment or sincere appreciation—sincere being the key word. Flattery has a connotation of insincerity and is often motivated by the objective of ingratiating oneself with the person flattered.
Genuine praise can do many positive things for the workplace, such as rewarding work well done, raising self-esteem, boosting morale, and increasing productivity. Even so, don’t overdo the praise. A little can go a long way because it shows you’re paying attention. Don’t get carried away with superlatives. Commending someone for being the savviest, fastest, smartest, funniest, bug-findingest team member is a bit much. And try not to praise some employees to the exclusion of others. Selective praise, especially when given in the presence of those not praised, is a first-rate way to create dissension in a team.
Praise, like feedback in general, should be specific, citing the action, activity, attitude, or behavior that’s being praised. Stating what the employee did to warrant the praise lets the person know what to continue doing and benefits the team or organization by upping the odds that it does indeed continue.
Be careful about using praise as an entrée to criticism. It’s fine to give an employee balanced feedback that focuses on both what’s been done well and what needs improvement. Just don’t whip out some praise to soften the blow of the negative, or employees will run the other way when you start doling out the praise. Similarly, don’t ask for a favor in the same conversation in which you’ve offered praise. (See the description of flattery above).
Uplifting though praise is, not everyone likes to receive it in the same way. Some like it publicly and some prefer it privately. Some like spoken praise; some prefer it written. Think about what you know about the person to whom you’re offering praise so that you can offer it in the manner that the person will be happiest receiving it.
The website Entrepreneur offers a light-hearted list of tips for praising. For example, ending an expression of praise with “now get back to work” nullifies the praise. Also, no bear hugs—not at work, at least. And a handwritten note is worth more than a hundred-dollar gift card. (I question this last one; most people I know would be willing to settle for the gift card!)
