Specificity of Praise

“Good job.”

How many times have you heard this from a manager? It clearly communicates that an employee has done something well, and the praise helps motivate them to keep working hard. Overall, it’s a good saying.

But it could be so much better.

Generic praise like “Good job!” or “You’re doing well” is highly common in the workplace. However, the lack of specifics can be a real problem. If an employee doesn’t know what they did well, how can they replicate it? How can they give you more of the performance that you most appreciate?

Imagine the situation: Your employee — let’s call him Bill, for now — gives a presentation using a unique graph that conveys relevant information quite clearly. After the presentation, you congratulate him. “It was a good presentation,” you say, without any follow-up detail. The following week, John prepares another deck. However, to his horror, he realizes he graphed everything in a non-standard format during the last presentation! (Shame on him for being creative)?? He quickly goes through and removes the graph to use a more mainstream — and, incidentally, less clear — graphing method.

Just like that, the characteristic you most appreciate is lost. How do we do better?

Pro tip:

Managers, when you're reviewing work, provide specific feedback, both the pros and the cons. Bonus points for sitting down with your employees after a presentation or meeting and "reviewing the tape" to detail what you thought went well and where to be more effective in the future.

Can you think of something specific an employee has done well recently? Let me know in the comments, and then go tell your employee (or tag them in the comment - your choice)!

#peopleandculture #feedbackculture #feedback #coaching