How to praise someone professionally? Giving praise is one of the most important things you can do as a leader. It makes the person feel good, but it also shows that you pay attention and appreciate their work.
You don’t want to be insincere or fake, but you also want to make sure that your feedback is helpful and meaningful. This blog post will discuss nine tips for giving great feedback!
Table of Contents
How to praise someone professionally
Be specific with your praise.
By simply stating that you agree or understand what the other person is saying, you validate their ideas and make them feel heard. Take it a step further and let them know precisely what you appreciate about their idea.
EXAMPLE OF VAGUE PRAISE: “That sounds good.”
EXAMPLE OF SPECIFIC PRAISE: “I like how your idea addresses the need to get more sales while minimizing our overhead costs.”
Make it sincere
When you give praise, make sure that it is coming from sincerity. Just as you would with anything else in life, people can see through insincere praise, and it will only serve to undercut your message.
EXAMPLE OF SINCERE PRAISE: “I’m impressed with how you could work so efficiently under pressure and still get the job done right.”
EXAMPLE OF INSINCERE PRAISE: “Hey, great job! You’re the best!”
Give meaningful feedback
As leaders, we’re constantly giving feedback to our teams and stakeholders. And while it’s important to give positive and negative feedback, you also want to make sure that your feedback is meaningful.
To do this, you need to ensure that your feedback is both accurate and actionable.
EXAMPLE OF MEANINGFUL PRAISE: “Your report was well-organized and easy to follow. I think you did a great job of highlighting the key points.”
Use “I statements”
When giving positive or negative feedback, use “I statements.” This will help the other person feel that you speak from your perspective and not pass judgment.
Don’t use “you statements”
Using “you statements” is the opposite of using “I statements.” These statements are often seen as aggressive and can quickly escalate a situation.
Be aware of your tone
Your tone of voice can be just as important as your words when giving feedback. If your tone is harsh or judgmental, the other person is likely to become defensive and less open to hearing what you have to say.
Don’t wait too long to praise
Don’t wait until the project is over. For praise to motivate someone, it needs to be timely. This can mean two things:
- The sooner you praise, the more impact it will have.
- Don’t wait too long to praise. If you wait until later, people may question your sincerity.
You need to praise soon after a good thing has happened, or else people won’t be sure if you are sincere or not.
Give positive feedback publicly
Whether you’re trying to inspire someone to be a better team player or thank them for making an effort, public praise is more effective than personal praise.
While most people like getting praised privately, it’s not as likely to motivate them as public praise will. Public recognition is also more likely to make others sit up and take notice, which can be somewhat encouraging for them, too—they’ll want to get some positive attention next time!
If you’re worried that praising someone publicly might embarrass them, ask yourself if they’re more likely to feel good about themselves again later because of your feedback.
If that’s the case, publicly offer your positive feedback so everyone else can see how great they are. The only thing you have to watch out for here is bragging about your accomplishments at the same time—be sure that all the glory goes where it belongs.
Don’t be afraid to give constructive criticism
Giving praise doesn’t mean that you can never give criticism. If you only ever give credit, then your employees may start to wonder if you’re being sincere. It’s important to find a balance between the two.
EXAMPLE OF CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM: “I noticed that you didn’t meet your sales goals this quarter. What do you think might have caused that?”
EXAMPLE OF PRAISE mixed with CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM: “I liked how you tried a new sales technique this quarter, but unfortunately, it didn’t achieve the desired outcome. Next quarter let’s try.”
How to praise someone professionally in one word
When it comes to professional praise, sometimes all you need is one word.
Here are a few examples:
- Great job!
- Good work!
- Nice going!
- Well done!
- You did it!
- Superb!
- Fantastic!
- Outstanding!
- Keep up the good work!
How to praise someone professionally in email
How to praise someone professionally when sending an email. You want to make sure that your words are appropriate and not overdoing it.
Here are a few tips:
Be specific
When praising someone in an email, be as specific as possible. This will help the person understand precisely what they did that you appreciated.
Keep it short and sweet
An email is not the place to write a novel. Keep your praise brief and to the point.
End on a positive note
End your email with another word of praise or encouragement. This will leave the person feeling good about themselves and their work.
Here’s an example of an email praising someone professionally
Subject: Great job on the presentation!
Hi John,
I just wanted to let you know that I thought your presentation was excellent. You did an outstanding job of organizing your thoughts and clearly presenting them.
Thanks,
Mary
How to praise someone for their work examples
When you want to praise someone for their work, it’s important to be sincere and specific. Avoid generalities, like “good job,” and focus on what the person did that you thought was particularly great.
I appreciate the extra effort you put in to get that project done.
That presentation was one of the best I’ve seen. Your analysis and use of data impressed me.
Thanks for staying late to help finish up that project. Your extra effort made a big difference.
I’m impressed with the progress you’ve made. Keep up the good work!
Your attention to detail is amazing. I can always count on you to catch anything that’s off.
Thanks for taking the time to help me understand that concept. You’re a great teacher.
I know you put a lot of thought into your presentation. It showed.
You’re always so positive and upbeat, even when things are tough. It’s appreciated.
Your insights and ideas are always spot-on. I value your input.
You handled that difficult customer situation flawlessly. Well done!
Conclusion
Praise is a great way to build relationships at work and motivate people to do their best. Just avoid empty flattery, which can come across as insincere. When in doubt, err on the side of sincerity and specific praise to show that you’re genuinely impressed with someone’s work. We hope these tips help you give great feedback that leaves a lasting impression.