September 10, 2009

Making Work "Work": Resources for Busy Professionals

Praise is welcome anywhere, right?

With all the praise and recognition employees seem to crave, you’d think it wouldn’t matter where or how you give it. But it matters—a lot. Managers who don’t bother to get to know their team members on a personal level will not be successful at this task and run the risk of making an employee feel uncomfortable. A shy individual, for example, may cringe if recognized in a public event. Managers must also avoid the appearance of favoritism by considering how much public praise they give the same people time and again.

So, should you go easy on the praise to avoid offending someone? No. Instead, learn enough about your employees to tailor your praise to fit their individual situations and personalities. Praise isn’t one-size-fits-all.