The power of praise: How to give effective feedback?

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Praise is a powerful way to give feedback to others, as it can boost their motivation, confidence, and performance. 

Power of praise

However, not all praise is equally effective, and some types of praise can even have negative effects. 

Here are some tips on how to give effective praise:

  • Be specific and descriptive. Instead of giving vague or generic praise, such as “good job” or “well done”, give specific and descriptive praise that tells the person what they did well and why it matters. For example, “You did a great job on your presentation. You spoke clearly, used relevant examples, and answered the questions confidently.” This type of praise helps the person understand what they did right and how they can repeat it in the future.
  • Focus on the effort and process, not the ability or outcome. Praise the person’s effort, strategies, choices, and actions, rather than their innate ability or the final outcome. For example, “You worked really hard on this project. You did a lot of research, organized your information, and revised your draft several times.” This type of praise encourages the person to develop a growth mindset, which is the belief that they can improve their skills and abilities through effort and learning . On the other hand, praising the person’s ability or outcome, such as “You are so smart” or “You got a perfect score”, can lead to a fixed mindset, which is the belief that their skills and abilities are fixed and cannot be changed . This can make the person afraid of failure, avoid challenges, and lose motivation when faced with difficulties .
  • Be sincere and authentic. Praise the person only when they deserve it, and avoid overpraising or exaggerating. Praise that is insincere or excessive can lose its meaning and impact, and even make the person suspicious or distrustful of your feedback. Make sure your praise is genuine and reflects your true appreciation and respect for the person’s work or behavior. 
  • Be timely and frequent. Give praise as soon as possible after the person has done something praiseworthy, and give praise often. This way, the praise is more likely to be remembered and reinforced, and the person is more likely to feel motivated and valued. However, do not praise the person for every single thing they do, as this can make the praise lose its effect and become expected or routine. Instead, praise the person for significant achievements, improvements, or contributions.
  • Be supportive and constructive. Praise the person for what they have done well, but also acknowledge what they can do better or differently. For example, “You wrote a very creative story. I liked how you used dialogue and imagery to make the characters come alive. Next time, you could try to add more details to the setting and the plot, to make the story more engaging.” This type of praise helps the person recognize their strengths and areas for improvement, and gives them specific and actionable suggestions for how to improve. However, do not mix praise with criticism, as this can confuse or discourage the person. Instead, use a praise-improve-praise sandwich, where you start and end with praise, and insert the improvement in the middle.

I hope these tips help you give effective praise to others. 😊

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