In Praise Of Praise

If you manage others, one of the most valuable tools you have in your backpack is praise. Together with his counterpart, criticism, these two instruments can make a huge difference to how people feel. And how do you feel you can make an even bigger difference to how they operate. Here are 5 ways to use praise and criticism in an effective and productive.

1. Praise in public, in private Criticise. While public praise can make people feel 10 feet high, public criticism of 10 inches will make them feel small. Furthermore, recipients of public condemnation to simmer a pot of vengeance to be delivered at a time only when you need it. Instead, always follow the advice of Catherine the Great of Russia: "I praise in public, I criticize privately."

2. Reverse your relationship-critical praise. When we do not think we tend to do more to criticize others who praise. This is because we take for granted that people working for us should do - without any comment from us - and we believe that it is only When people do not run we should say something. As a result, criticism is what we do most. Jack Canfield has discovered that the teacher school day provides 460 negative comments compared to only 60 positive ones. When Jack invert the relationship in a school, just getting teachers to praise children when they did something useful, the results were surprising. Moral and behavioral approached. It remained standing. And everyone was happy.

3. Add to Sunshine shower. If you must criticize someone because there is little to praise, to soften the edges with encouragement. Goethe, the late 18th century philosopher, said that after criticism encouraging others have a more powerful effect on people not only criticizes them alone. He compared the effect of sun after a shower. George Adams, American newspaper magnate, said he encourages others who have an effect on them that you can not begin to understand. It has the power to change lives. As the Oxford don William Ward said: "Flatter me, and I do not believe you. Criticise me and I do not like. Ignore me and I forgive you. Encourage me and I will never forget you."

4. Praise and serious. Appreciation alone can do wonders. However, striking barren land if the person on the receiving side does not believe or is insincere. One of the most effective ways to provide praise is not just to tell someone what we liked what he did, but to tell the effect that had on us.

In business as a game, "Albert Carr tells the story of a speech by a chief executive. The man was not an accomplished orator and he knew it. However, shortly after he had sat, was approached by one of his department managers. "Mr. Rossen, who was an extraordinary speech. A great performance. Churchill could do better!" The chief replied amiably: "Thank you, Larry. Glad you liked."

A few days later, another manager came to head during lunch and said: "Mr Rossen, I thought about what you said the other night. It's made me think Could we make some changes in our department. Would Sorry if I sent you my thoughts? "" Not at all, Bill, "said the chief. "I'm glad you thought the speech."

It is not difficult to see what the most important compliment.

5. Power-praise. Richard Branson, Virgin chairman of a multinational empire, says he has an easy way to motivate his team: "I choose the best people I can and then I praise, praise and praise them." No doubt people are motivated by praise. After all, is one of the needs identified by Abraham Maslow in his hierarchy of needs. We are motivated by the need for recognition by those who matter to us. Partly because of this, praise can create dependency. People look, but do a good job and become de-motivated when it is not imminent. This is also why the combination of praise and criticism works so well together. Make it a habit never to praise without encouragement to do better, or encouragement to do better without praise. That's why the positive-negative-positive sandwich works so well.

One last point. When given true, sincere, and of course the praise, it raises your status in the eyes of others. Giving praise is so rare that we realize people who do it for us.

There is nothing complicated about giving praise. And 'one of the simplest and most powerful interpersonal skills around. Just see what others do, the time to talk to them, and with a little 'of child psychology, simply tell us something that will make your day.