Say thank you. Yes, even when it is their job. Thank them for doing it in the magical, special, unique way that only they can do it.
Giving positive feedback continually. Make it your priority to “catch them doing it right.”
Be timely by keeping your praise as close to the praiseworthy act as possible.
“When you appreciate the good, the good appreciates.”- Tal Ben-Shahar
Be specific. “Nice work” is not as powerful as “I love the choice you made right there.” Instead of saying “great job” try asking:
- What inspired you to do that?
- How is this different from what you did in the past?
- What do you need in order to do more of this?
Tailor your praise to the individual. Make it a priority to learn how each person prefers to be praised. Ask them. Watch their reaction.
Make sure that you praise at an optimal volume.
- 3 positive interactions to 1 negative interaction has been shown to generate average performance.
- Fewer than 3 will generate underperformance
- 6:1 is the ratio for world class performance
- Can you run the number up so high that you become ineffective? Yup, at 14:1 the team starts to underperform again.
Mind the 1 in that ratio… You cannot ignore problems or poor behavior. Be certain that you address them as quickly and thoroughly as you praise. You must find and address the problems and the negative. Just mind the advice of Kim Scott in her book Radical Candor. In order for people to accept negative feedback, they must believe that you care personally about their success, and, then, you should challenge them directly.
Consistent and ongoing feedback is key. However, Dan Pink calls the modern workplace a “feedback desert.”
Now, get out there and tell your team how important that they are to you!
Just my opinion. What do you think? Let me know in the comments.
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The Sapiens Society 
“Tailor your praise to the individual. Make it a priority to learn how each person prefers to be praised. Ask them. Watch their reaction.” I love that you included that. That is not expressed often enough when discussing praising or being praised. Everyone reacts differently to praise and how it’s expressed. I would also add, be sincere in your praise. Insincere praise is meaningless and people can see through it.
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