TIP – I Just Want to Praise You!

An important part of developing and retaining employees is providing feedback. An effective manager can use feedback to their advantage and encourage development of all employees, not just the one who is slated to receive the praise or constructive feedback. A well administered  comment or word or praise can go a long way to employee engagement.

Praiseworthy Performance

A good general rule of thumb is to praise behavior publically and correct behavior privately. But this is not the only formula to use when providing feedback to employees for either a job well done or taking action to correct and hopefully change behavior. Knowing and understanding your employees can make a big difference in how the praise – or constructive feedback – is received and processed. Take time to make sure your delivery of the message is appropriate and consistent. Sometimes how we say something can impact the actual message either positively or negatively. Tone, body language, eye contact and audience can truly make the difference between providing valuable praise and just giving feedback. Email is not the best way to provide feedback and should not be used unless absolutely necessary. The best feedback is done timely and in person. Try to limit email use to follow up or clarification of the praise and/or feedback.

Employee retention begins with employee relationships within their department and with their immediate supervisor. A manager can have a positive impact on employee engagement by providing positive feedback sessions. These can build respect among the entire group of employees and foster a good working environment.

Don’t forget to CELEBRATE!