"Praise is the greatest tool in behaviour modification ... it goads us to better performance and encourages us." B.F Skinner, Behavioural psychologistReceiving gratitude, feeling respected and being valued are some of the most under-utilised and best return-on-investment business tools available because they're free. Employees simply look for a "thank you" to feel appreciated for their work. If they don't get it they can begin to feel taken for granted. In most cases recognition is psychologically worth more to employees than a pay rise.
The smallest comments can make the biggest differences for people. Try to be as specific as possible when expressing appreciation. Instead of saying: "Nice job with the new client last week," try: "I liked the way you went to the client's office to deliver the product in person. That really positioned us as part of their success team."
Here are some starters for you:
"One of your achievements that I'm most proud of is ....."
"You really made a difference by ..."
"I'm impressed by your ..."
"I admire you for ..."
Possible actions
- Get rid of the old-school management focus on improving weaknesses and instead concentrate on expanding people's strengths
- Gossip about the good work and behaviours you hear about others
- Whenever possible, try to be at the scene to witness and applaud people's achievements as they occur
- Make "thank you" part of your common language
- Learn to accept praise and compliments graciously yourself, otherwise it may not spread as quickly
- Put praise into writing as documentation delivers longer lasting benefits
- Applaud people in public (but give constructive feedback in private)
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