|
Home / Business / Management
Praise Matters
By:Kevin
In working with businesses and organizations of all kinds, I hear the same concerns everyday:
How do we increase productivity?
How do we improve Customer service?
How do we keep people actively engaged in their work and with others on their team?
How do we reduce turnover?
How do we improve safety?
Even if you aren’t thinking about or concerned about every one of those questions, I’m sure at least one of them has kept you up at night in the past.
As leaders we think about these things because they impact the success of the organization. As coaches we think about how to impact these things day-to-day, person-by-person.
As a coach, someone helping people improve their performance for the benefit of both the individual and the organization, there are typically two types of feedback that you could provide on their performance at anytime. Constructive feedback (sometimes called criticism) and positive feedback (which I will call praise).
Forgetting the words for a minute, these two types of information are important to anyone trying to do anything better. We need to know what we aren’t doing quite right, so we can adjust, and we need to know what we are doing well, so we can replicate that. Makes sense doesn’t it?
Now, let’s look at the words. I looked up criticism in my thesaurus and here is what I found:
“1. censure, faultfinding, disapproval, condemnation, disparagement 2. a judgment, evaluation, appraisal, analysis, assessment, estimation, valuation, 2 b critique, review, commentary.
I also looked up the word praise, and found:
“v. 1 acclaim, laud, applaud, pay tribute to, compliment, commend, eulogize, extol, honor, sing the praises of, pay homage to, endorse…”
Now, think about these two lists of synonyms. Granted, not all of them make sense in a business context, but ask yourself these questions:
· Which of these things have I received more of in my professional life?
· Which of them motivates and inspires me to strive for greater achievement and higher performance?
And now with your coach’s hat on, think about these questions:
· Which of these things do I share more often?
· Which will help me most inspire and motivate others to reach their potential?
If you are like me and most everyone I’ve ever discussed this with, you have received more negative, “constructive” feedback than positive, encouraging feedback at work. And you believe that with more encouragement or praise you might have been more successful quicker.
The point in two words?
Praise matters.
Want some more proof?
According to a Gallup survey outlined in the book, How Full is Your Bucket? 61% of American workers received no praise at work last year. 61%! And the #1 reason people leave their jobs is because the feel unappreciated.
It is undeniably true. You can prove it from your personal experiences and from the hard data. Praise matters. And it is vastly underused as a coaching tool by most people most of the time.
As you finish reading this and walk away from your desk and begin interacting with people (whether you coach them or not), keep these things in mind:
· Everyone needs recognition and reassurance. Hopefully the exercise and the data above confirm this fact for you.
· Praise gives us pride in our jobs. Given a choice, would you rather have people who take pride in their work, or not?
· Praise generates enthusiasm and commitment. Committed people can work miracles, so it pays to build commitment.
· Praise builds loyalty. What are the real and hidden costs of employee turnover?
· Praise prevents people from feeling taken for granted. When people feel taken for granted they are less committed and loyal, aren’t they?
· Praise motivates us to “go the extra mile.” The extra mile is often where we find satisfied customers, higher returns and more.
· Praise improves our relationships. Would you like to have better relationships with those you lead, coach and work with?
· Praise takes hardly any time and costs nothing. There are few things in life that can produce such great returns for such a small investment.
Get that praise tool out of your toolbox. Dust it off and allow it to become shiny with use. It is an easy tool to use. It is a fun tool to use. You might even want to take it out of your mental toolbox and lay it on top of your desk so you remember to use it more often.
If you want answers to the questions at the beginning of this article, start with praise, because praise matters.
Digg
del.icio.us
Blink
Stumble
Spurl
Reddit
Netscape
Furl
Article keywords: constructive feedback, constructive criticism, praise, feedback, positive feedback, criticism, coaching, leadership, encouragement
Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com
Kevin Eikenberry is a leadership expert and the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company. To receive a free Special Report on leadership that includes resources, ideas, and advice go to www.kevineikenberry.com/leadership.asp or call us at (317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.
|
|
| Top Management Articles |
- 1). Nine Reasons Why Mentoring Matters to You By : Kevin
There are many roles we play or hats we wear in our lives. We are professionals, family members, brothers, sisters, co-workers, leaders, coaches, friends, parents, and neighbors to name just a few. While you may not wear all of the hats I listed, you can likely add several more that I left out! Many of these roles are a given – we don’t have much choice of having the role – they come with being a responsible adult.
|
- 2). Project Management - Design and Development Projects By : Michael Russell
There’s no getting away from it, design and development projects are a nightmare to manage successfully, particularly the development of software. Nonetheless, in these days of customers requiring ever increasing functionality and ever more sophisticated technology, they are sometimes necessary.
Your company almost certainly has procedures in place such as Make or Buy (do you design/build the item yourselves or do you sub-contract) and Design to Cost (you’ve estimated how much it will cost, now make sure that it doesn’t run over budget.
|
- 3). Defining Supply Chain Management By : James Hunt
Companies that deal with inventory will have to have some sort of system in place to effectively manage the supply chain that exists for any type of sales. A system of inventory needs to be as smooth running as possible so that a company is able to fulfill all its orders in a timely manner...
|
- 4). Customer Advisory Boards By : Paul Lemberg
Customer Advisory Boards are a great source of information about your market and your business. Their advice is more valuable than any management consultant's. They provide real world counsel on what you are doing right, what you are doing wrong, and most important -how to stay competitive. After all, they're the customer. They're the one's who buy your stuff.
|
- 5). 6 Ways to Maximize Learning By : Steve Kaye
Here's how to gain the most from training events.
1) Know what you want
Before the workshop, set learning goals for yourself. What do you want to learn? How can this program help you? What would make you feel that your time was well spent?
2) Ask for what you want
As the program unfolds, ask questions that guide the presentation toward the information that you need.
|
- 6). Save Face, Time, and Money on Your Next IT Project By : Leslie Whinery
How many times have you been involved in a project where a newly-released piece of software required an immediate enhancement because the right people were not “in the loop”? This is an example of how poor communication costs money and damages the reputation of an Information Technology (IT) Team.
Well-managed communication can increase the rates of success on your IT projects by improving relations between you and your customers and decreasing the odds of hasty last-minute enhancements, thus saving face, saving time, and saving money.
|
- 7). Decision Making "Pub" By : Claude Jollet
This article will help transform your decision making process into “PUB” - Pure Unadulterated Bliss!
Think I'm exaggerating? Well ... maybe just a little!:-) But, see for yourself anyway! You might be in for a pleasant surprise. The way I make decisions in complex situations has – at least – the merit of turning decision making into an effective, satisfying, even reassuring experience.
|
- 8). The CEO is 10,000 feet above the fire By : Larry Galler
How many times have you heard a business owner or manager say that they spend their workday “always sweating at putting out fires?” I hear it all the time.
Think of a raging forest fire. There are sweaty fire fighters working hard, just yards in front of the flames. There is one person in a helicopter 10,000 feet above the flames. Those on the ground and the one in the helicopter are all looking at the same fire but they have totally different views.
|
- 9). CPAs vs. Non-Certified Accountants - Clearing Up The Confusion By : John Day
I wish I had a nickel for every time someone asked me what the difference is between CPAs and non-certified accountants. Essentially, non-certified accountants can simply hang up their shingle and open their doors for business. There are no educational requirements. If they want to prepare taxes, most states require a certain number of qualified hours of study plus continuing education hours each year.
|
- 10). Many Kinds Of Banks - Many Kinds Of Accounts By : Sintilia Miecevole
Sometimes looking into opening an account or accounts in banks can be confusing. There are so many types of banks and bank accounts! Which banks are right for you to open anaccount in? Which types of accounts do you need to open? Below are some simple explanations of several types of banks and the accounts you can open. One will surely be right for you!
There are many kinds of banks:
1.
|
| New Management Articles |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- 7). Double Your Profits with Business Coaching By : Kris Koonar
Business as we all know, involves risk. Since starting up your own business means starting a new chapter of your life, you may fail to recognize a few shortcomings in your business plans, as you are too engrossed and feel that things are going great.
|
- 8). Modern Business Strategies and Tactics By : Kris Koonar
Modern business strategies and tactics often concentrate on developing international brands and products, but before developing any product it is important to assess the potential worldwide demand.
|
- 9). Avoiding Poor Time Management By : ian Williamson
Around midnight students across the country become record setting authors by finishing essays, and study groups for tests in unheard of time. This unnerving process often leads to below average results. Many people wonder why this is happening, the answer is poor time management.
|
|
|
|
|
