Hesitant to praise

In a recent workshop, a few participants shared that they were hesitant to give praise or positive feedback because doing so would send a message to the recipient that no further improvement is needed. “If I tell them they are great, they will think they have nothing more to develop.”  So positive feedback often turns into “you did great on this aspect of the project but you should also try to …” and the feedback is in fact turning corrective. Or positive feedback is left unsaid. That is the problem when feedback is kept too general. Giving comments that judge the entire person is not effective, whether it is about negative or positive feedback.

You don’t tell someone they “are not a team player”, since this describes the whole person and gives the impression the situation is beyond repair. Similarly with positive feedback, keep the feedback concrete and specific. “You did a great job on the project XYZ because you …”. Encourage the person to repeat what he did. Don’t tell him that he “Is a fantastic asset to have”. By being explicit about what exactly deserves praise, you leave the door open to further development in other areas or at other occasions.

Imagine a culture where people are afraid to praise because they are afraid it will mean the end of improvement! The benefit of getting a smile and lit up face go a long way when you want to keep your folks engaged ! So keep it short and stick to the specific facts.