Praise is an amazing thing. It can create powerful feelings and motivate people to perform, and yet it costs nothing and takes minimal effort. Praise is one of the best tools a manager has to keep the team happy and productive. Take the following email example from me to a Director on my team:
Hi Matt
Thanks again for your hard work today on the applications. I know it was a long day but I truly appreciate your input and the apps are going to be that much better because of it. Keep up the great attitude and I’ll see you tomorrow.
Greg
I spent about 45 seconds writing that email, and it made Matt’s day. Whether it is from a manager to a subordinate or the other way around, everyone likes to be reminded when they do a good job. Consider the following guidelines to be a praise-centered team:
1. Praise frequently, but make it count
I might send 2 or 3 emails like the one to Matt each day to different teammates. Anytime someone does a good job, I recognize it. At the same time, you don’t want to over do it. Sometimes a simple “thanks!” will suffice while other times an extra sentence specifically outlining what the team member did is better.
2. Be short and sweet
Praise doesn’t need to be in long essays or paragraphs. It can be a sentence or two that fits on a sticky note or takes 30 seconds to send from your Smartphone. Short sentences that get to the point quickly tend to be more powerful.
3. Balance it with constructive criticism
In order to make your praise count more, you also need to call teammates out when they make a mistake and provide constructive criticism. This isn’t to be hostile; instead it is to help them learn and develop as leaders.
4. Mix up public and private praise
While personal emails are a great way to deliver praise, public announcements to the entire team at a meeting or even a blog post about a teammate’s good work can be even more powerful. Consider having a healthy mix of both.
By leveraging these strategies and letting your teammates know when they excel, they will feel happier and learn more, ultimately leading to a better organization for everyone.