Praise is one of the most readily available, yet under-used HR approaches in a manager’s toolkit. It is often said that ‘praise is a far more powerful motivator than pay’. This is interesting, as a study across multiple organisations (Rewick & Lawler), ranked praise 15th as a staff motivator, behind pay (ranked 12th). Although praise has potential to be a
top motivator, it clearly is not being done effectively.
Ask any manager and they likely will say that they praise staff well, because it seems so simple. But like all managerial behaviours, we need to practice and refine what we do.
If done well, praise can do far more than build motivation. A recent report by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (UK) has stated that necessary levels of praise are required for workplace mental well-being. This is key to achieving high employee engagement and positive workplaces.
So, what is a good starting point for making PRAISE effective? Here is a mnemonic to help you:
Purposeful - Tie the praise you give to a behaviour or change that you would like the staff member to make. Don’t just say ‘well done’ at the end of the day. Make what you say specific such as ‘Thanks for completing the report on time as it really helped me get the numbers that I needed”.
Real - Be authentic. Give praise in a way that makes you feel comfortable and sounds genuine.
Active - Just Do It! Give praise at every opportunity. Forget about the ‘sandwich principle’. We need to give 5 positive comments to every 1 negative comment with all employees.
Individual - Make sure you tailor praise to the individual. Not everyone wants to have their work announced at a team meeting. Recognise good work in a way that it will be received as praise. It is about ‘them’, not you.
Straight away - The closer you give praise to the time that the great outcome/behaviour occurred, the more powerful. Don’t wait until end-of-month meetings.
Evaluate - Check what you say is being received as praise. Just because you intend it that way, does not mean that it is effective. Remember each individual has different preferences.
How do you praise your staff?
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