Read the article “Giving Praise” (see below). Do you believe giving praise is mo

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Question

Read the article “Giving Praise” (see below). Do you believe giving praise is motivational? What is significant about the process in the article? Would you improve the process? Do you believe managers implement and utilize praise frequently as a motivational tool? Describe your thoughts.

"GIVING PRAISE"

In the 1940’s, Lawrence Lindahl conducted a survey revealing that what employees want most from a job is full appreciation for work done. Similar studies have been performed over the years with little change in results. A recent survey showed that managers want personal recognition more than salary by four to one. Another survey revealed that 27 percent of workers would quit to move to a company known for giving praise and recognition; 38 percent of workers said they rarely or never get praise from their boss. When was the last time your boss gave you a thank-you or some praise for a job well done? When was the last time your boss complained about your work? If you are a manager, when was the last time you praised or criticized your employees? What is the ratio of praise to criticism?

Giving praise develops a positive self-concept in employees and leads to better performance – the Pygmalion effect. Praise is a motivator (not a hygiene) because it meets employees’ needs for esteem/self-actualization, growth, and achievement. Giving praise creates a win-win situation. It is probably the most powerful, simplest, and yet most underused motivational technique there is.

Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson have recently popularized giving praise through their best-selling book The One Minute Manager. They developed a technique that involves giving one-minute feedback or praise. The steps in giving praise are as follows:

Step 1, Tell the person exactly what was done correctly; Step 2, Tell the person why the behavior is important; Step 3, Stop for a moment of silence; Step 4, Encourage repeat performance. Blanchard calls it one-minute praise because it should not take more than one minute to give the praise. It is not necessary for the employee to say anything. The four steps are illustrated below.

Step 1. Tell the person exactly What Was Done correctly:When giving praise look the person in the eye. Eye contact shows sincerity and concern. It is important to be very specific and descriptive. General statements like “you’re a good worker” are not as effective. But, on the other hand, don’t talk for too long, or the praise loses its effectiveness.

Supervisor: John, I just overheard you deal with that customer’s complaint. You did an excellent job of keeping your cool; you were polite. That person came in angry and left happy.

Step 2. Tell the Person Why the Behavior Is Important: Briefly state how the organization, and/or person, benefits from the action. It is also helpful to tell the employee how you feel about the behavior. Be specific and descriptive.

Supervisor: Without customers we don’t have a business. One customer bad-mouthing us can cause hundreds of dollars in lost sales. It really made me proud to see you handle that tough situation the way you did.

Step 3. Stop for a Moment of Silence: This is a tough one. Most supervisors the author trains have trouble being silent. The rationale for the silence is to give the employee the chance to “feel” the impact of the praise. It’s like “the pause that refreshes.”

Supervisor: (Silently counts to five.)

Step 4. Encourage Repeat Performance: That is the reinforcement that motivates the employee to keep up performance. Blanchard recommends touching the employee. Touching has a powerful impact. However, he recommends it only if both parties feel comfortable. Others say don’t touch employees; it could lead to sexual harassment charge.

Supervisor: Thanks, John, keep up the good work (while touching John on the shoulder, or shaking hands).

?As you can see, giving praise is easy, and it doesn’t cost a penny. Several supervisors the author has trained to give praise say it works wonders. It’s much better motivator than giving a raise or other monetary reward. One supervisor stated that an employee was taking his time stacking cans on a display. He gave the employee praise for stacking the cans so straight. The employee was so pleased with the praise that the display went up with about 100 percent increase in productivity. Notice that the supervisor looked for positive and used positive reinforcement, rather than punishment. The supervisor could have made a comment such as, “Quit goofing off and get the display up faster.” That statement would not have motivated the employee to increase productivity. All it would have done was hurt human relations, and could have ended in an argument. Notice that in the above supervisor’s example the cans were straight. The employee was not praised for the slow work pace. However, if the praise had not worked, the supervisor should have used another reinforcement method.

Giving Praise Model

Step 1. Tell the person exactly what was done correctly.

Step 2. Tell the person why the behavior is important.

Step 3. Stop for a moment of silence.

Step 4. Encourage repeat performance.

Explanation / Answer