Many managers struggle with the idea of singling out and praising a high performing team member. They may be concerned with being accused of showing favorites, or just feeling awkward about mentioning specific people when a team is supposed to be performing on all cylinders.
That’s a bunch of hogwash.
When a worker performs above an beyond, it is more than ok to acknowledge the results publicly.
Consider these points:
- The rest of the team most likely already knows how that person performed.
- Hearing individual praise can motivate others to seek similar notability in the future.
- Specific praise motivates repeated success.
- Acknowledgement lets others know what performance is expected.
Here’s how:
- Make sure the praise is specific.
- Praise the work, not the person.
- Praise as close to the success as feasible.
Just remember, giving praise costs you nothing other than a small amount of time. Use it wisely and motivationally.
