Praise is one of my favourite things. It feels good to praise others, and it feels good to be praised. Sadly, though, it’s often forgotten.
It’s important to understand that any organisation is about people. That’s why the way managers interact with their employees is so important. To understand why praising employees is so effective, it’s probably best to consider why criticising or impugning employees is not.
When an employee is criticised, they tend to enter a defensive mode. Although you might not intend to “go on the attack”, perception is reality. If an employee feels that they’re the victim of unfair criticism, you’re not going to be inspiring any superior performance in the near future. Would you go out of your way to do anything for somebody who you perceive is attacking or publicly criticising you?
It’s a far better practice to praise the good behaviour and performance of your employees. It builds up the relationship between people, and contributes to a positive environment. If your employees feel like you are both part of the one team, they’ll be motivated to perform.