Be specific and generous

Praise well, and praise a lot

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Good morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the New Corner Office,
the podcast where we share strategies for thriving in the
new world of work where location and ours are more
flexible than in the past. Today's tip is to be
generous and specific with your appreciation. Let people know when

(00:27):
they've done something that made a difference for you with
as many details as makes sense. This will make people
feel good and probably make them want to help you
more in the future. So we've all received casual and
non specific praise, great job, way to go, Thanks for this,

(00:48):
this is great. These bits of praise do feel good,
but they don't really show much thought. These could be
said to anybody about anything, and they probably are said
to many people about many things. So when someone does
something you appreciate, try to thank and praise them in

(01:08):
a way that feels more tailored. Identify what it is
they did, and identify the impact. Bonus points if you
can tie the specific act to a capacity or skill
you admire in that person. So, for instance, lindsay, thank
you so much for connecting Tom and me. It looks

(01:29):
like we'll be able to work together on the project.
I appreciate the way you make such thoughtful introductions. You've
named the act you appreciate that is connecting you with Tom.
You've identified the impact of promising partnership, and you've connected
this specific act with a characteristic strength of Lindsay's, namely
her making mutually beneficial introductions. Lindsay will surely feel glowing

(01:54):
after that. Here's another example, Lucas, I really appreciate your
feedback on the proposed changes to this policy. Thanks to you,
I was able to clarify the changes so people understand
the new policy and its purpose. Now, the point is
not to be labor your thanks or to be inauthentic
or awkward in any way. But when you thank a

(02:15):
person in a way that is specific and impact oriented
and that connects to their core strengths, if you can,
the person will feel seen and valued and effective, and
they'll look forward to getting to help you again in
the future. That's for being specific. As for being generous, well,
feel free to thank people in more ways than one

(02:38):
call and then send a follow up note, send a
quick text and then a longer email later. Another part
of generosity is expressing your thanks publicly. Now this doesn't
have to be in a grand speech, though it can
Tagging a note up on a public bulletin board can work,
or a quick email to a list of people who

(02:58):
would have been aware of what happened. Well. People sometimes
think that praise will be taken more seriously if they're
stingy with it. I have not seen any real evidence
that this is true. As long as you are being
authentic and praising specifics, then you can praise lots of specifics.

(03:19):
It's the meaningless good jobs tossed around everywhere that don't
actually help. So today, I think if there's someone you
could thank specifically and generously, make sure you describe the
impact the person's thoughtfulness had on you, note how it
reflects on the person's character. Now, of course this is

(03:40):
a nice thing to do, but it's actually really fun
as well. Watching someone beam is one of the best
parts of a work day, or at least imagining them
beaming on a phone call. Life is tough. Being thankful
doesn't need to be in the meantime. This is Laura,

(04:03):
Thanks for listening, and here's to succeeding in the New
Corner Office. The New Corner Office is a production of
I Heart Radio. For more podcasts, visit the I Heart
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