leadingtoday.org

Leadership Tip of the Month

February 2005

Copyright 2005 ã weLEAD, Inc.

Giving the Right Kind of Praise!

Many leaders know the value of providing praise to those who work with them. If used correctly, praise can be highly motivating and a great way to show someone you appreciate the good work they provide. But if a leader hands out praise for the wrong reasons, or at the wrong time, it can backfire and generate more harm than good. The key is to give the right kind of praise for the right reasons. Here are some guidelines to follow…

Don’t praise ordinary performance. If you do this repeatedly you reduce the impact and meaning of genuine praise. Also, when someone does excellent work your praise will not mean very much. Another problem is that praising a coworker for ordinary work won’t necessarily motivate them to grow or perform even better. Don’t confuse praise for showing appreciation. A leader should always show appreciation for all work others do, including a sincere “thank you”!

Be specific about what you are praising. Vague compliments like “keep up the good work” or “great job” are shallow. If the person just got done spending an hour making a personal phone call or eating a box of doughnuts they will think you don’t have a clue about their work habits! Providing fuzzy clichés only devalues genuine praise. Instead, make statements like, “I am impressed with the excellent work you did on the _________ project” or “the ______ problem”. Again, be specific and let them know exactly what you found to be outstanding performance and why.

Skillfully use praise to improve poor performance. Most workers have both strong and weak skills. When a coworker is performing well in one area and is weak in another, use praise to improve the weak area. Do this by taking the time needed to casually talk to the worker. In your conversation, praise what they are doing well and tell them why. Then encourage them to apply the same dedication and diligence to their weaker skills. Within the next few days… look for a reason to praise them in these weak areas as you see an effort to improve.

Put excellent praise in writing. Verbal praise can be very encouraging but it can also be quickly forgotten when the next problem arises. Occasionally provide genuine praise to others in the form of a memo or letter. It will be a permanent reminder to them of your admiration for their excellent work. When work related stresses later arise, it can be reread and encourage the reader all over again! Also, send a copy of the memo to the workers supervisor and ask that it be placed in their personnel file. Believe me, that will mean a lot to the person being praised.

Don’t assume praise is all that needed. Over time superior work deserves more than praises and words of appreciation! If praise is not supported with other individual needs it will eventually ring hollow. Don’t forget to spend time with your workers, work hard to get them occasional bonuses, raises, and job assignments they desire. Also, make it a point to take them out to lunch or dinner, on the company, as a way of showing your admiration for the work they do.

Be generous with giving praise to others. But remember to use this powerful tool in the right way and you will find it to be an effective motivator and a way to develop mutual respect.

For weLEAD, this is Greg Thomas reminding you that it was Will Rogers who said, “Even if you are on the right track… you’ll get run over if you just sit there”.