The power of praise: why it’s worth appreciating employees and colleagues
Praising in the workplace is not just a way to improve performance—it’s also a key to well-being and fostering a positive team atmosphere. The "State of the Global Workplace" report conducted by the Gallup Institute revealed that in 2023, among respondents in Europe:
- 37% experienced stress during the day
- 15% reported feeling anger
- 17% admitted to feeling sadness
- 14% experienced loneliness
These results indicate the importance of maintaining a positive environment, and praise is one of the simplest and most effective tools to achieve this.
In the article "Secrets of Effective Praise" Jarosław Kulbat references studies by Mark Leary and Roy Baumeister, who analyzed different functions of self-esteem and their impact on human psychology. They emphasize that appreciation and praise play a crucial role in building a person’s self-worth—higher self-esteem translates to better well-being of those who are praised. Similarly, research by Hyeon Jo and Donghyuk Shin shows that employee appreciation significantly impacts engagement. When employees see that their efforts and achievements are recognized, their motivation and willingness to contribute increase. But what is the best way to praise effectively?
How to praise in a meaningful way
Not all praise works as intended. To be effective, it’s worth keeping a few principles in mind:
- Be precise and specific – point out exactly what was done well.
- Justify the praise – explain the reason behind your positive feedback to increase the likelihood of repeated behavior in the future.
- Maintain balance – praise should match the achievement. Avoid excessive enthusiasm for minor successes.
- Separate praise from criticism – do not mix positive feedback with negative comments, as this makes the message inconsistent.
- React quickly – give praise as soon as possible after noticing the positive behavior to enhance its effectiveness.
- Be sincere and authentic – praise should be given with genuine engagement and without artificiality
- Adapt the form to the individual – consider the recipient’s preferences, such as whether they prefer public or written praise. Some people may feel uncomfortable with public recognition.
- Praise for meaningful aspects – Focus on elements that are important for the recipient’s self-esteem or areas where they may lack confidence.
Not just for managers!
Appreciation should work in all directions—not only should managers praise employees, but colleagues should also recognize and support one another. A few kind words from a teammate can significantly boost motivation and improve workplace atmosphere. Likewise, leaders and managers can benefit from constructive feedback from their teams. Open communication and feedback from employees help them better understand team needs, enhance leadership skills and create a more effective and friendly work environment. Recognizing a leader’s efforts can be just as motivating as praise directed towards employees.
Praising is a simple yet highly effective tool. Well-formulated praise strengthens engagement, increases job satisfaction and improves team relationships. If you haven’t made a habit of appreciating your colleagues yet, it’s worth starting—it costs nothing, but the results can be surprising!
