Move Ahead 1 Advance News - April 2005
By Special Guest Columnist, Dr. Bob Nelson
In the workplace, praise is priceless, yet it costs nothing. In one recent poll, workers named a personal praising from their manager for doing a good job as the #1 most motivating incentive; yet almost 60 percent of employees say they seldom, if ever, receive such a praising from their manager.
Although giving an effective praising may seem like common sense, a lot of people have never learned how to do it. I suggest an acronym ASAP-cubed be used to remember the essential elements of a good praising. That is, praise should be given as soon, as sincere, as specific, as personal, as positive, and as proactive as possible.
As soon --Timing is very important when using positive reinforcement, according to extensive research on the topic. You need to give others praise as soon as the achievement is complete or the desired behavior is displayed. You might even interrupt someone who's in a meeting to provide a quick word of praise, until you are able to discuss the achievement with them at greater length.
As sincere --Words alone can fall flat if you are not sincere in why you are praising someone. You need to praise because you are truly appreciative and excited about the other person's success. Otherwise, it may come across as a manipulative tactic--something you are doing only when you want an employee to work late, for example.
As specific --Avoid generalities in favor of details of the achievement. "You really turned that angry customer around--you let him unload all of his emotions and then focused on what you could do for him, not on what you could not do for him."
As personal --A key to conveying your message is praising in person, face-to-face. This shows that the activity is important enough to you to put aside everything else you have to do and just focus on the other person. Since we all have limited time, those things we do personally indicate that they have a higher value to you.
As positive --Too many managers undercut praise with a concluding note of criticism. When you say something like, "You did a great job on this report, but there were quite a few typos," the "but" becomes a verbal erasure of all that came before. Save the corrective feedback for the next similar assignment.
As proactive --Lead with praising and "catch people doing things right" or else you will tend to be reactive--typically about mistakes--in your interactions with others.
BOB NELSON is founder and president of Nelson Motivation, Inc., a management training and consulting firm based in San Diego , California . As a practicing manager and a best-selling author, he is an internationally recognized expert in the areas of employee recognition, rewards, motivation, morale, retention, productivity, and management. He is author of the best-selling books 1001 Ways to Reward Employees – which has sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide – 1001 Ways to Energize Employees and 1001 Ways to Take Initiative at Work . Bob is also co-author of the best-selling books Managing For Dummies – which has sold more than 500,000 copies worldwide – and Consulting For Dummies , as well as 15 other books on management and motivation. | 
