In Praise of… Praise!

Last updated: August 29, 2021
Estimated reading time: 3.5 min

For busy managers, praise is often one of the first things to fall off the priority list. We totally get it—there’s always something that needs your attention, and taking the time to give specific and sincere praise doesn’t usually feel like a Big Rock. And, like our relationships to feedback more broadly, how we feel about giving (and receiving!) praise is often connected to our upbringings, our work experiences and norms, and our overall communication styles.

Still, we’re here to tell you that it isn’t just a nice-to-have. Praise is an important tool that can help managers develop and maintain staff, build relationships, foster belonging, and sharpen their communication skills.

In our introduction ofCSAW (Connect, Share, Ask, and Wrap up), our framework for giving feedback, we shared examples of how to use the tool for different types of feedback. While offering praise doesn’t always have to be a full conversation (sometimes just using the “S” in CSAW will suffice!), using CSAW for praise can be a simple way to learn from what’s working so that you can continue to do great work. Let’s take a closer look at how CSAW can work with praise:

Step Key Points Example
Connectto get buy-in Connect over a shared value, goal, or experience.

明确表示你有值得分享的赞美。

 I know how important it is to both of us that this pilot is a success and I see how hard you’ve been working on it.

我能分享一些我欣赏你的方法的具体方面吗?
Share你的意见，影响，以及任何要求。 Focus on the things that are in their control (behavior, not character!).

Connect their action to its impact on you, the team, and/or the work.

 You’ve done a great job wrangling a bunch of stakeholders, getting them bought in, and moving forward without missing deadlines. I’m thinking specifically about the way you handled the timeline disagreement by identifying a collaborative win-win approach.

因为你代表我们做了如此伟大的工作，并与我们的联盟伙伴建立了关系，他们似乎比过去更渴望与我们合作。此外，由于我不需要像我预期的那样亲力亲为，我可以把更多的精力放在融资上。

Please, keep bringing this level of coalition leadership!
Askquestions Invite their self-reflection and probe their successes to identify the key conditions or actions that helped them exceed expectations.

给他们寻求帮助或支持的机会。

 是什么让你这么做的?在完成这项工作时，什么对你最有帮助?你最引以为傲的是什么?你认为你做过的最重要的1-2件事是什么?

我能做些什么来更好地支持你吗?
Wrap up 庆祝成功! Keep up the great work!

As with all feedback, it’s more important that managers give praise regularly and thoughtfully than that it follows a format or structure every time. Use CSAW as a framework, but don’t make it a production. The more you systematize it, the more natural it will become.

For managers who can’t seem to find time for it, try any of these:

  • Give praise once a month during your check-in
  • Set up a biweekly 15-minute block on your calendar to think about the acknowledgment and/or praise you want to share
  • Shoot off a praise email once a week.

If giving praise doesn’t come naturally and you’re worried about coming across as insincere, you can do one of two things:

  1. 专注于简短、具体和事实(“你让每个人都参与进来，同时确保每个人都参与进来”)。
  2. Share the personal impact that they had on you (“the needs statement in your last grant proposal made me feel even more inspired by our work” or “when you facilitated the last team meeting, I felt fully engaged.”

You can also start by using the mode of communication that comes most naturally, whether that’s in writing or verbally. The point of giving praise is to make sure your staff (and colleagues) feel valued for their work and contributions to your team.

Check out our other resources aboutfeedback:

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