Greetings!
Thank you again for subscribing to Knight Views. As you know, we try to send you information that's relevant to your work/personal life, information that can be applied right away.
If you want to forward Knight Views to someone else, there is "Forward Email" link at the bottom of this email. You can update your profile or email address, or unsubscribe at the bottom of the email, too.
As always, we invite your feedback, questions, comments, suggestions, FYI's on errors, and anything else you'd like to say. That way we can tailor this newsletter to your needs. So please email us at information@dimension11.com or call us a 800-303-2315. We'd love to hear from you.
Best regards and enjoy!
Annette
|
Faint Praise--Worse than No Praise At All
|  You just spent an all-nighter fixing up a job that's due this morning. The thing is, it was someone else's job, and it was a mess. You reworked the whole thing so the company could still deliver on time. Yeah for you! What does the boss say? "Good job," and pats you on the shoulder and walks away. Ouch! Like poking a stick into a balloon, faint praise can rip a hole in your feelings of accomplishment and leave you feeling deflated and unappreciated. It would have been better for nothing to be said at all; at least you could think the boss just forgot and will mention it later. Maybe you've been the person with the stick at times. Probably the motive behind that kind of praise was not to hurt. Often people don't know how to give praise effectively. Here are some tips for making your people feel appreciated and valued: - Timely praise is important. Say something the moment you notice an action to be praised. Don't leave it for later. "I just noticed..."
- Be specific with what you saw. "...that you brought coffee and the newspaper to that client waiting for an appointment."
- State what is the normal behaviour you've observed in that situation. "Usually it's left to the receptionist to do that, or clients are just pointed in the direction of the coffee machine and they get their own."
- Be sincere with your thanks and the reason you feel it is warranted. "I really appreciate your taking a bit of time to make our clients feel welcome and comfortable. It leaves a great impression of our company and you in their minds. Thank you for going that extra mile."
Wouldn't you feel good if someone said that to you? Wouldn't you feel good if you were the one saying those words? Rather than giving faint praise that can do more harm than good, or saving praise for things you feel are bigger and more important, give praise when it's due, and be specific and sincere. It will go a long way in making your organization a place where people want to work.
|
| Quotes | "Praise is like sunlight to the human spirit: we cannot flower and grow without it."--Jess Lair
"If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it." --Margaret Fuller
|
|
|
|
|
Sherry's
Corner | Women's ClubsOne of your fellow
readers wondered why "women's groups" are okay but "men's groups" are
frowned upon and expected to become "co-ed." Interesting question, I thought! As a woman I recognize that the
majority of us who have entered the work force did so after World War
II. Thus, we're virtual new comers (only about 65 years of history here)
to the workplace. Do we have more women in the workplace than before?
You bet! Are women reaching the ranks of the Executive Suite? You bet! However, the number of women who earn the equivalent of a male
counterpart doing the same job is low. In fact, on average, women earn
$0.85 for every $1.00 a male earns. And on top of that, the number of
women in the Executive Suite is dismal, only 3.4% in Canada.
Not much in my books. So do women still need organizations of their own where they can
help each other get ahead? I vote a resounding YES! The day will come
when it won't be necessary to contend with the "old boys' club," it just
may not happen in my lifetime. Agree? Disagree? I'm waiting for your comments.
|
UnstoppABLE
by Sherry Knight
|
How we define success may determine whether or not we reach our goals. This book holds a simple yet powerful seven-step program to bring success into our lives. Learn more here. |
|
|
|
