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Guidelines for Effective
Praising
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Jobwerx Resources - February 18, 2005 - Do you unknowingly
discourage continued excellent performance by failing to acknowledge it
when you first see it? Dr. Bob Nelson, author and motivational speaker,
suggests an acronym “ASAP-cubed” to help you remember the essential
elements of good praising; that is, praise should be done as soon, as
sincerely, as specifically, as personally, as positively and as proactively
as possible.
There are executives and managers who discourage continued excellent performance
by failing to acknowledge it when they first see it. Such individuals
mistakenly assume that they should be focusing their attention on sub-par
performers. When asked why they don't recognize good work, some use the
excuse, “I'm too busy.”
In favor of praising good employees, let 's look at these guidelines to
help executives remember the essential elements of good praising.
Let's look more closely at each element of his formula:
- As soon. To be most effective, a “thank you” should
come as soon as possible after the achievement or desired activity has
occurred. If you wait too long to thank a person, the gesture will lose
its significance.
- As sincere. Praise should be given only if you are truly
appreciative and excited about the other person's success. Otherwise,
it may come across as a manipulative tactic to get more work out of
the individual.
Start motivating those around you today.
- As specific. Avoid generalities. Specifics lend credibility
to your praise. Praisings that are too broad tend to seem insincere.
It's also important to let an employee know exactly what behavior led
to the praise, so that he or she can continue that behavior.
- As personal. If possible, the praise should be given
in person. This shows that the activity was important enough to you
to put aside everything else you have to do and thank the person.
- As positive. Nelson observes a mistake that many managers
make when giving praise: they undercut its value to the individual by
concluding with a note of criticism. For instance, they might say to
a worker, “You did a great job on this report, but there were quite
a few typos.” As Nelson points out, “The ‘but' becomes a verbal erasure
of all that came before.” He suggests that managers save the corrective
feedback for the next similar assignment.
- As proactive. Don't wait for perfection. Praise improvements
and approximately right behavior. It will trigger future improvements
until the level of performance you want is achieved.
Motivate your staff and colleagues and boost your company’s bottom-line
with the following AMA
courses.
For information on Program Courses from AMA visit American
Management Association Courses and Certification from FlexStudy or
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