Motivating Through Praise
By Marcus Miller
What is the appropriate way for a manager to acknowledge the person doing the exceptional job? If the top performer goes out of his or her way to contribute to the department, sets a standard of self-initiative and enthusiasm and receives no recognition, it can potentially thwart those efforts. Even if they don't do it for the recognition, how does one acknowledge performance?
It seems counter-intuitive, but praise can be as tricky to deliver as negative feedback. Well-delivered praise is specific and thanks the person for what he or she did. If appropriate, it also ties their action to the goal. ("Thanks for working on your weekend. I really appreciate your extra effort on this project, especially since we're working to deliver the project on time.") There are other things to consider in the quest to boost esteem and performance. Praising involves the "where" and "when" and "why". For example, if a manager praises a few employees and ignores the rest, there will be problems. A manager who uses public praise of one employee to try to motivate the other employees is likely to see it backfire. Here's why
Praising must take into account:
The Manager's Intent
If the manager is simply trying to share the good news about a member of the group, so everyone can applaud and feel good for the person (as well as for the team's goal), the intentions are honorable and the group will respond well. If, however, the manager's intention is to use the person's success to shame or embarrass the group into better performance, it will fail. Sounding like a lecturing parent doesn't go down well.
The Amount of Praise the Manager Gives All Employees
If the manager is uneven in the amount of praise he/she gives, employees will notice. Even employees who don't need a lot of praise will smell a whiff of favouritism. Being consistent about encouraging each employee will prevent resentment if one member of the team is singled out occasionally.
The Balance Between Private and Public Praise
Some people are embarrassed when they are complimented in front of others. Other people like to bask in public acknowledgement. Smart managers make sure they mix it up. They mention the employee's good work in one-on-one meetings (i.e. when they are reviewing projects or giving a performance review), but also thank them for their good efforts within earshot of others. Finally, when there is a big achievement, it's acknowledged and celebrated during a group meeting.
The Evolutionary Stage of the Team
When the team is new, has a mix of seasoned and new employees, or is under stress, it's best to praise individuals privately and focus on the team goals and group praise when the team is together. The reason? In each of these situations, employees may feel insecure about their status within the group. As the group starts to gel and their confidence grows, singling out individual members of the team will be cause for enthusiastic applause.
By using common sense and a deliberate but appropriate approach to handling praise, managers will reap the benefits of a more productive team.
Marcus Miller (Marcus.Miller@LEAPJob.com) is the President of LEAPJob (www.LEAPJob.com), a Human Resources Consulting firm focused on improving its clients' capabilities to attract, hire and retain great people. You can reach Marcus at 905.281.3090, Ext. 21.
