Author: Joseph Plazo
People blossom on praise. Though all of us need praise to help
make us feel great about ourselves, you can't praise people
arbitrarily: Praise should be reserved for endeavors worthy of
singular acknowledgment. So, how do you deal with folks who
rarely do anything rather praiseworthy?
My pal Minnie faced this situation in her team of clerks at
work. Several lazy clerks had the outlook that, as long as they
fulfilled their quotas, they were okay. Praising them for
hitting quotas only toughened their belief that nothing more
was expected of them. Censure of their failure to exceed the
quota was met with the response "I'm simply doing my job."
Minnie decided to try positive reinforcement. She gave one of
the operators an extraordinary project for which no production
quota had been set. When the duty was completed, Minnie praised
the employee's fine work. She pursued this practice with novel
assignments and ultimately enjoyed the opportunity to earnestly
praise each of the clerks.
Now, while praise can motivate people in a twinkling, it
doesn't always work. Some manager praise every trifling
activity, diminishing the value of praise for real
accomplishments. Others sprinkle praise in such a way that it
appears fake. To make your praise more meaningful, follow these
tips:
1. Never overdo it. Praise is saccharine. Rockcandy is sweet,
too, but the more you gorge, the less tasty each piece becomes,
and you may get a tummy upset. Liberal praise reduces the
benefit that's derived from each bite of praise; if it's
overcooked, it loses its value forever.
2. Always be earnest. You can't fake sincerity. You must really
believe that what you are praising your associate for is
actually admirable. If you don't trust it yourself, neither
will your colleague.
3. Follow the rule of specificity. Rather than smile, "Great
work!" it's much better to say, "The task you accomplished on
the XXX project enabled me to recognize more clearly the
complexities of the issue."
4. Solicit for your colleague's advice. Nothing can be more
flattering than to be asked for advice about how to ease a
problem. This approach can backfire nonetheless, if you don't
heed the advice. If you have to rebuff advice, ask people
questions about their deficient proposals until they see the
error of their ways and reissue sound advice.
5. Always publicize praise. Just as a chastise should always be
doled in private, praising should be trumpeted (whenever
possible) in public. Sometimes the theme for which praise is
given is a private matter, but it's more often suitable to let
your entire group in on the praise. If other colleagues are
conscious of the praise you give a subordinate, it urges them
to work for similar recognition.
About The Author: Joseph Plazo is a renowned success coach.
http://www.xtrememind.com http://www.powerconsultants.net
http://www.jobcentralasia.com
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