Motivating Employees

4. Praise and Criticism

Let your employees know when they are doing well, and when they are doing badly.

4.1 Remember why you are giving feedback.

• The objectives are to improve performance, help learning and build employees' motivation and self-esteem. Any feedback that does not contribute to these goals is counterproductive.

4.2 Respond to people's successes and failures as soon as possible, so they can progress by making many minor adjustments.

• Be specific. Say exactly what you are congratulating people on or wanting to help them improve.
• Show real feelings. Be delighted or disappointed. Make it clear that business is not just numbers to you.
• Allow time to praise people properly.
• Do not save up praise or criticism for reviews, or for when you lose your temper.

4.3 Avoid getting personal.

• Describe the negative consequences of an action, rather than criticising the person.
• Keep your messages of praise and criticism entirely separate.
• Do not end a conversation with a criticism. Once the message has sunk in, encourage the employee to think through with you how better results could be achieved.

4.4 Most employers find it all too easy to complain about employees' mistakes.

• Frame criticisms constructively, in ways that will help people make improvements.
• Aim to praise people's achievements ten times as often as you point out errors.