The Power of Praise by Jennifer H. Ledet, SPHR
December 25, 2008
We have a big Golden Retriever named Tabasco. Tabasco has been a part of our family for eight years. If you have ever known the joy of owning a golden retriever, then you know how eager to please they are.We first got Tabasco as a puppy (he’s a very red golden retriever – hence the name), and my husband and boys wanted to train him for hunting. I had no objection because I knew from previous experience that training them for hunting makes for a very obedient pet.
By the time Tabasco was a year old he was officially trained for duck hunting and was a pretty obedient dog, as expected. I realized early on that once he’d been trained to obey, he could be taught anything. So, my big contribution to his training was that I taught him to fetch my morning newspaper every day. Okay, I know that I don’t have a future as the next Dog Whisperer, but I also realized that a little praise goes a long way with him. He is so eager to please that he is very thorough with this assignment. Each time I praised him, he would look for something else to bring to me. Now, if I don’t watch him carefully, he will retrieve my newspaper, my neighbor’s newspaper, my neighbor’s shoe, well you get the picture! (My neighbors know to just ignore the dog slobber and teeth marks by now !)
Have you ever noticed that a little praise goes a long way with people too? Now I’m not saying that you should use dog training techniques for enhancing your people skills, but…. this praise thing really does seem to work with anybody… subordinates, team members, family members, and yes, even dogs.
The experts call it positive reinforcement. The idea is that when you see a behavior that you want repeated, you acknowledge, praise, or even reward the individual. (Cheese or a dog bone work for Tabasco, but I suggest you find out what your team mates like and offer them that instead!) I believe that most people are like Tabasco, in that they are eager to please. The more they are praised for a certain behavior, the more likely they will be to repeat it.
Here are a few powerful action steps you can take to develop the habit of congratulating instead of criticizing.
Catch people doing something right and/or doing the right thing. You can train yourself to be more tuned in to the positive. When you spot something praise worthy – let ‘er rip!
Be sincere and specific. People will see right through false praise and ooey-gooey mush.
Don’t take others’ efforts for granted. Even when they’re just doing their job, acknowledge their dependability and dedication. Sometimes you may have to really reach to find something good to acknowledge. Even if you just commend them for chewing their food thoroughly – do it.
A handwritten note or card goes a long way with most people and it costs you very little.
Set yourself a goal to recognize a certain number of people each day. It will push you to constantly look for the positive.
These techniques aren’t intended for use with subordinates only. Try them on your managers, co-workers, team mates, family members and even your dog! I’d like to hear your ideas for recognizing and rewarding the people in your life. Chime in and share your own Powerful Tips!
To Your Success,
Jennifer
Comments
One Response to “The Power of Praise by Jennifer H. Ledet, SPHR”
Got something to say?
I agree that it is important that we give positive reinforcement to persons because it is a motivation tool that not will only boost self-esteem but possibly get the positive behavior to continue. As human beings, we all need to know that we are not working in vain…simply for a paycheck (though it is important especially in the state of capitalism that we live) but we work because we want to know that we are giving value to our organization as well as to ourselves by being productive citizens. It would be unwise to think that teambuilding will be effective if authentic comments aren’t given to our co-workers. The cheese or a dog bone may work for Tabasco and maybe even some humans (smile) but I think bagels or especially donoughts goes a long way with the beautiful comments.
Tee
I am proud of all of you ladies keep up the good work and the five of you are an inspiration. I hope to meet you soon.