Are You a Praise-Worthy Leader?

Whenever leaders get together to talk about what’s working in their businesses, staff recognition is always high on the list. As a matter of fact, on nearly every list of the top ways to reduce turnover and increase employee engagement, recognition and/or encouragement make the list.

Happy National Day of Encouragement. If you’re a leader and aren’t already in the habit of looking for ways to praise, recognize, and encourage your team, use today as your reason to get started. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results you can achieve with a zero-dollar perk that pays great dividends. You can’t always allow flexible work schedules, grant promotions, or give raises – you can always give praise, and in all the ways that count, that’s a huge benefit to your company, your team, and your individual employees.

Encouragement boosts morale, builds relationships, and is contagious. What kind of recognition/praise/encouragement can you give to your team? Here are a few examples from Indeed’s career guide:

• "I know who to turn to when I need something big like this in the future."
• "Your performance has been outstanding. You should be proud of yourself."
• "I'm impressed with the work you did on that project."
• "I know times are difficult right now and we appreciate the dedication and hard work you have shown."
• "Thank you so much for bringing such enthusiasm to work each day! You make it exciting to go to work every day!"
• "Being around you always puts me in a better mood."
• "You're an inspiration to all of us who look up to your energy and positive attitude when dealing with tough situations."

When people feel seen, heard, and appreciated, they’re more likely to stay focused, stay engaged, and stay on the job. If you need a little help getting into the “encouragement” mode, here are three episodes of the world’s second-shortest podcast to get you started:

• Need help re-learning how to appreciate out loud? Here’s a Tiny Bite for that!
• Need a reminder that what you say is what you get? Here’s a Tiny Bite for that!
• Need help accepting praise? Here’s a Tiny Bite for that!

Today, make the decision to be the kind of team leader that looks for praise-worthy efforts and shines a spotlight on them. Even better – make that spotlight public, and the shift in attitude on your team will be almost immediate. And if your “team” is a family unit, this works there, too. Learn to praise from the heart and you’ll always be a beloved leader.

PS...know someone who needs a keynote speaker, trainer, or team consultant? Please share this post with them. Thank you!