Years ago, I received an anonymous 360-degree feedback that said:
“I wish she could be more generous with her compliments.”
When I read that comment, immediately in my head, I was so defensive.
To me, praise was reserved for extraordinary achievements.
Like, look. You are doing your job. That is exactly what you are supposed to do. Why should I praise that?
In my mind, you only earned praise when you were sacrificing your firstborn to save the world level of contribution. 👹
I know… I was such a terrible boss!
But after sitting with that feedback for a few days, I asked myself, “What harm would it do if I praised my people more?”
So I did.
The trick was making the praise feel genuine, so I also learned how to be specific with my praises.
Little things like…
- the extra effort someone put into decorating the office
- the patience shown when handling a very sensitive employee
- someone submitted their report earlier than expected
And to my delight, the compliments not only made the team happy, they also made me happy.
Especially that person. Oh yes… eventually I figured out who wrote that feedback hehe…
Happy weekend, everybody!
If you notice good work done with care, praise a little.
Your subordinates, your peers or even your boss.
Believe me, it will bring you joy too.
xoxoxo
