08/ 04/ 2008
by Charles R. McConnell
Praise and criticism are two important elements of effective leadership. Praise is especially important in what should be a manager's ongoing effort to elevate average or even better-than-average performance to outstanding performance. Although praise is always more powerful than criticism in improving performance, it's an unfortunate reality that criticism is the more frequently used of the two. This condition undoubtedly exists because criticism is necessary to right a wrong or reverse an error, but praise is perhaps seen as not especially necessary because there is nothing in need of immediate change.
Most managers are busy people, often with too much to do and too many workers to oversee, so they feel pressured to focus on that which is immediately necessary, such as correction of obvious problems, and neglect non-pressing matters or postpone them until "a better time." Since the "better time" usually doesn't materialize, most of the non-pressing matters—such as going out of the way to deliver praise for a job well done—go unattended.
The employees whose performance is problematic or whose behavior is troublesome are the employees who consume most of a manager's time and attention. The well-known 80/20 Rule applies reasonably well to a manager's employee-relations activities in that 80 percent of the problems arise from 20 percent of the employees. Thus the troublesome 20 percent consume most of the manager's attention while the majority of the 80 percent are ignored.
We hear much more about criticism than about praise. To just briefly review its essentials, criticism should be:
- Timely. It should be delivered as soon as possible following the emergence of the problem. Never save it up for "a better time."
- Constructive. This simply means that valid criticism consists of not just "what's wrong," but also includes guidance for correction.
- Private. Never criticize an individual in the presence of others. Privacy is essential to preserve individual dignity.
- Rational. Never criticize in anger. If necessary, allow yourself at least a few minutes to cool down and restore your perspective.
Praise, on the other hand, is much easier for the average manager to dispense than criticism. But although it's easier, praise usually occurs less often than criticism. While the need to criticize may readily assert itself, the manager must be alert of instances deserving of praise. In praising effectively:
- Avoid unwarranted praise. If you convey the impression that you're pleased with barely adequate performance, workers are likely to keep on pleasing you with barely adequate performance. Save your praise for truly praiseworthy events; properly used, it can stimulate improvement. Also, never use praise as a lead-in to criticism, like the manager who begins every critique with "You did a wonderful job, but…" Employees quickly learn that such an introduction means their work is going to be picked apart.
- Keep praise consistent with the achievement. Small achievement, light praise, best delivered in private; significant achievement, honest praise consistent with the accomplishment, perhaps delivered in private, but depending on the nature of the achievement, also delivered in a more open forum.
- Combine praise with recognition. When an individual has made an outstanding contribution or otherwise performed beyond normal expectations, consider praising publicly in department meetings, company newsletters, employee-of-the-month programs, etc. Ensure that recognition of the outstanding performer extends to more than just kind words and a pat on the back. Such achievement should figure prominently in the employee's next performance review, perhaps positively affecting compensation. Also, consider delegating additional responsibilities to this employee or using him or her as a mentor for new employees.
- Use praise as a carrot, not as a stick. Don't attempt to use praise of a good employee's performance as a spur to others ("He can do it; there's no reason you can't do the same.") Doing so will only spur resentment of the "model" employee who should actually be a good influence. Rather than telling others they should try to imitate the outstanding performer's achievements, simply let them see that good performance is recognized and appreciated. Most employees are sufficiently mature to make their own judgment as to the value of doing a good job.
Finally, what of the employee who simply plods along, day after day, neither causing problems nor producing exceptional results, doing the best that he or she can do in producing acceptable results? This is the employee who is most likely to be ignored—or taken for granted—by a manager. Yet this employee requires the periodic attention of the manager as well. Attention to this worker may consist of more acknowledgement than praise, but this acknowledgment is essential in that it can ensure continued acceptable performance.
