Power of authentic praise at the workplace

When praising an employee, it’s better to refer to the person’s responsibilities, characteristics and capabilities, rather than give a general remark like ‘Well done’ or ‘Good job’. Photo: dpa

It' a shame, but it sometimes comes more naturally to criticise people than to praise them. And many companies still seem to stick to the motto “no criticism is praise enough”, according to career counsellor Ragnild Struss.

That is a “gross mistake”, the Hamburg-based psychologist says, as an encouraging work environment can have a positive influence on such factors as sick leave, staff fluctuation, job satisfaction, health and, last but not least, workers’ performance. Studies have shown that effective praise can boost productivity by 20%.