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Communicating Praise that Makes an Impact

by Pamela Jett, CSP

Giving praise is one of the most positive forms of communication.   However, if all we say is “thanks” or “good job”, we miss an opportunity to get make a real impact.  Well delivered praise  rewards and increases the likelihood that people will continue the praiseworthy behavior.  Here is a simple process to give praise that is meaningful and effective every time.  (BTW, I sure wish I could remember where I learned this system – I would love to give credit where credit is due.)

1.  Use names – people like to hear their name associated with the positive.  Research also reveals that every time we hear our name, we get a tiny endorphin rush (the happy hormones.)

2.  Praise immediately – psychologically, your praise will make a bigger impact if it is delivered as close to the praseworthy act as possible.  Leaders, don’t hold on to all the good stuff for performance reviews.  You can double-dip.  If it is fantastic, praise immedaitely and share during a review.

3.  Be specific – don’t simply say “good job.”  Make it clear what you are praising.  That way, people will know what to keep doing.

4.  Point out the impact – this is HUGE!  Of all the steps, this is the most neglected and the most important.  Telling people why what they did matters (pointing out the impact) creates better employee engagement, a greater sense of commitment, and greatly increases that likelihood that the praise will be remembered (and acted upon in the future)

5.  Ask for a repeat – simple and effective.

Susan, you did a great job organizing the data in this report.  Well organized data is what really makes a difference during the monthly review. Keep up the good work.

Following this pattern for giving praise (it also works as a guide for writing thank you notes as well) will increase the likeliehood that your praise will be received as sincere.  Leaders (and parents) who use this system increase commitment and engagement while empowering employees (and teens).

What are your thoughts on giving praise?  Please post a comment and share this blog with others.  Pamela Jett is a communication skills expert who believes that “Words Matter.”  Find her on Facebook, follow her on Twitter, connect on Linked In and sign up for her “Brain Wrinkle” on this website.




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Posted in Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Leadership, Parenting and communication, communication on October 5th, 2011 by pamela

Employee Retention and Communication

by Pamela Jett, CSP

According to Deloitte’s fourth annual Ethics & Workplace Survey, one-third of employed Americans plan to look for a new job when the economy gets better.  Yikes!   Since turnover is extraordinarily expensive, it is in the best interest of organizations to focus now on preventing this massive loss of talent and intellectual capital.  Why do people plan on leaving?  48 percent cite a loss of trust in their employer and 46 percent say that a lack of transparent communication from their company’s leadership are their reasons.

Here are a few simple steps that anyone at any level within an organization can take to improve trust and communication.

Keep people informed. It is a fact of organizational life that when people begin to suspect that “something is up” the rumor mill starts working overtime.  And, the scary part is that in absence of good or reliable information, people will simply start to make things up.  They speculate, they guess and pretty soon those speculations take on the power of truth.  A good leader (at any level of the organization) keeps people informed to the best of their ability.  Even if they, the leaders, don’t have all the answers, a great leader will communicate that they are aware the concern exists and they will share information as it becomes available.  Employees would much rather know that their leader doesn’t have all the answers than to suspect their leader is holding out on them.

Point out the impact of contributions. Help people feel like what they do matters by pointing out the impact or the difference they make on a regular basis.  Instead of simply praising someone for a job well done, offer the praise and let them know why what they did is valuable.  When employees know that what they do matters, when there is no mystery around the role they play and the value they add to the organization, they are more likely to stay even when other opportunities are on the horizon.

Communicate awareness of career development. Although in the current job market the temptation is to “protect” and “hoard” opportunities, a great leader knows that delegating and putting opportunities for career development in the path of others is a great way to stay valuable to an organization.  If you are in a leadership position, demonstrate your awareness of the career development needs and wants of others.  Do what you can to acknowledge and support that need.  Spread the “high-profile” assignments around instead of relying on one or two “go to” people all the time.  Communicating and demonstrating an awareness that people need opportunities to shine in organizations makes you a more trustworthy leader.

While people may currently be happy to have any job, turnover will happen and it will happen sooner than later.  Now is the time to put your remarkable communication skills to work so that you are the kind of leader or colleague others want to work with and for.    Not only will this help prevent good people from leaving in the future, it can make your current work environment more rewarding, it can improve employee engagement, and it can make you a better leader (regardless of your title or job description.)

Pamela Jett, CSP is a communication skills expert who believes that communication is the most important skill set any professional can develop.  As a a keynote speaker, workshop leader, and coach, she works with professionals worldwide to develop remarkable communication skills for remarkable results.  If you enjoyed this blog post, please share with others, leave a comment, tweet it, or post it to your social networks.  For more information about Pamela, click here.

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Posted in Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Leadership, Professional Development, Uncategorized, communication on September 27th, 2010 by pamela

Employee Engagement and Communication

by Pamela Jett, CSP

Employee disengagement is expensive!!!!  According to a recent Gallop survey, disengaged employees cost employers 1 out of every 3 payroll dollars.  A burned-out, stressed-out, and over-worked workforce is becoming more and more the rule rather than the exception.  According to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics latest numbers, the average number of hours an employee works is on the rise (3.6%),  but output is not keeping pace – only a 2.6% rise during the same period.

Why do these numbers matter?  If you are leading a team or a member of a team, many of your colleagues are contributing less and less and feeling more and more over-worked.  Performance is suffering, customer service in impacted, and tempers are at the breaking point (recall the flight attendant who recently “escaped” his work environment by launching himself down the evacuation slide – beer in hand and luggage in tow.)

What can we as individual leaders or team members do about this challenging state of the workforce?  Here are 3 simple things anyone, anywhere can do to improve employee engagement and morale.

1.  Express Appreciation - It is a simple thing that can make a big difference.  Say “thank you” regularly, communicate your gratitude when someone goes above and beyond, and take the time to brag about others in front of the boss or other power players.

2.  Keep People Informed - Communicating to employees or colleagues the “whys” and the big picture can help them stay connected.  When people feel like they are “in the loop” they are more committed.  Be careful of having a “on a need to know basis” mindset.  In this day and age when keeping everyone engaged is key, everyone “needs to know.”

3.  Catch People in the Act of Doing Something Right - It can be very easy in tough times to stay focused on the negative: production goals that go unmet, errors rates that are too high, delays, and mistakes.  Constant focus on the negative is demoralizing and unmotivating.  Take time every day to praise a colleague or an employee for something they have done right – whether it is a big or a little thing.  Making a conscious effort to see the positive will actually increase the number of positive things you see.  It’s all about what we choose to focus on.

None of us can take a disengaged workforce and completely turn it around by ourselves.  However, if we each make it a habit to practice the above 3 simple things, we will begin to make a positive impact in our own circle of influence.

Do you find this useful or thought provoking?  If so, post your comments, tweet about it, and share it with your friends.  For more information about me, Pamela Jett, and the communication tools I provide, please visit www.JettCT.com

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Posted in Employee Engagement, Leadership, communication, stress managment on August 30th, 2010 by pamela

Gain Cooperation (and Resources) With This Quick Tip

By Pamela Jett, CSP

Gaining cooperation and resources (such as money, time or equipment) from others can be made easier with one communication tip:

Ask for advice before you ask for resources.

While this approach doesn’t guarantee that others will give you what you want, it greatly increases the odds that you will gain their cooperation and support.  It draws on a key truth:  Whose ideas do people like the most?  Their own!

Let’s make this simple and break it down to a 3-step process.

1.)  Share your current concept with them and then ask them what they might do to improve a certain part, or what they think you could do differently, or how you could take it to the next level.  Thank them and go away.

2.)  Ponder their contributions and, if possible, integrate some of their advice.

3.)  Re-approach and use language such as “the project you’ve been so supportive of requires….” (and then state your request for resources).

Obviously, every situation is different and would require different language.  However, if you use the 3 steps outlined above, you increase the chance you will get the support and resources you need.  Remember:

Ask for advice before you ask for resources.

I would love to hear your success stories.  If you’ve used this technique, share your story.  If you have a question, let me know.  Please post a comment on this blog, tweet it, and share it with others.

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Posted in Employee Engagement, communication on May 13th, 2010 by pamela

Brussel Sprouts and Pride

by Pamela Jett, CSP

Some things are really very hard for me to swallow:  brussel sprouts, creamed corn, liver, and zucchini, to name a few.  However, the most difficult thing for me to swallow is my pride.  It is difficult, distasteful, and not very fun from my point of view.  And yet, I am aware that swallowing my pride is good for me, just like liver and zucchini.  10801While every leader is aware of how important it is to be humble (which means teachable), it is sometimes very difficult.

One simple way to swallow our pride as leaders is to ask others for their ideas as opposed to simply imposing our own agenda.  Research is very clear that when we ask others for their ideas and solutions, we increase employee engagement and often get better solutions to complex problems.  It isn’t always easy to ask others for their opinions, especially when time is tight or when we think we know the “right” answer.  It is, however, worth it.  Here are a few simple “pride-swallowing” questions to add to your leadership communication repertoire.

  • “What are your thoughts?”
  • “How do you think this might play out?”
  • “How would you approach this situation?”

Just like swallowing brussel sprouts, swallowing our pride can yield great bottom-line results.  And, as an added bonus, we become the kind of leader that employees like and respect.

Enjoy this post?  Please post a comment and share it with those in your professional network.

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Posted in Employee Engagement, Leadership, Relationships, Uncategorized, communication on March 1st, 2010 by pamela

How to Improve Communication

by Pamela Jett, CSP

In a busy work environment it can be very easy to get  caught up in managing a multitude of tasks, meeting tight deadlines, coping with constant change, and being asked to do more with less.  In that environment, it can be very easy to forget to use remarkable communication.  Here are a few quick tips to keep you focused on using remarkable communication even in the midst of chaos:

1.  Focus on making one change at a time. If you are looking to make remarkable communication one of your personal and professional hallmarks, pick one thing to work on and stay focused on mastering that change.  For example commit to replacing the words “idea” and “suggestion” with more powerful words such as “solution” or “plan.”  For more ideas of small changes in communication that can make a big difference, click here .

2.  Teach someone else. When you learn a remarkable communication tool, share it with someone else.  I often have great conversations  about communication with a friend, Charlotte, who is committed to self-improvement. Charlotte is an active blogger and she often shares what she has learned during our conversations with others through her blog and by teaching it to her family.  This reinforces her commitment to practicing the technique because she has declared herself publicly.  (Read Charlotte’s fantastic blog here.)

3. Recruit a colleague. If you decide to make a change in your communication, recruit someone who knows you well to support you in your efforts.  They can applaud you when you succeed and keep you on track when it is easy to lose focus.

Communication is the most important skill we possess.  Make a commitment to enhancing your communication and hence your credibility and professionalism, even in the midst of the pressing daily grind.

Pamela Jett is a communication skills expert who is committed to sharing remarkable communication tools that create remarkable results.  For more information on bringing Pamela to your meeting or event, click here or call Aimee at 866.726.5388.

Want to learn remarkable communication tools without even leaving your desk?  Attend Pamela’s next teleseminar!

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Posted in Employee Engagement, Professional Development, Uncategorized, communication, goal setting on February 22nd, 2010 by pamela

Employee Mistakes and Communication

by Pamela Jett, CSP

I read in today’s edition of the Harvard Business Review’s on-line management tip of the day that it is vitally important for leaders and managers to let employees make mistakes.  I would agree.  It is often wise to step-in and correct an employee before a mistake is made, especially if it will be a large or costly error.  However, it is also often wise to step back and allow an employee to make a mistake and then coach them on the back end on how to either fix it or do better in the future.

By allowing employees the freedom to learn from their mistakes, leaders are not only contributing to an employee’s sense of personal responsibility and success, they are also improving employee engagement.  It is a well known fact that people like their own ideas the most and will be committed and engaged in implementing solutions or ideas that they help create.

So how can a leader or manager use remarkable communication to coach an employee after a mistake has been made?  One way is to make sure you communicate in the positive, not the negative.  Sometimes as leaders we are so busy telling people what not to do that we forget to tell them what right looks like.  Monitor your use of the word “don’t” and make a concerted effort to “ditch the don’t” and communicate in the positive, not the negative.  Share with employees what you would like them to do next time.  Better yet, ask them what they think they ought to do next time.  You will enhance employee engagement by asking employees (or your children if you are being a leader at home) for their input.

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Help your employees, your children, your colleagues, and even yourself learn from mistakes.  Use remarkable communication to help them learn and you will see commitment and employee engagement soar!

How has communicating in the positive helped you?  Leave a comment and share your success story!

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Posted in Difficult Conversations, Employee Engagement, Leadership, Parenting and communication, Uncategorized, communication, criticism on February 11th, 2010 by pamela

Does Communication Improve Employee Engagement?

by Pamela Jett, CSP

Does communication improve employee engagement?  The answer is a resounding “yes!”  Does effective communication contribute to an organization’s financial performance?  Absolutely!  According to Watson Wyatt’s 2009/2010 Communication ROI Study Report, effective employee communication is a leading indicator of financial performance and a driver of employee engagement.  In fact, research reveals that companies with highly effective communicators had 47% higher total returns to shareholders over the last five years compared with firms that are the least effective communicators.

Further research indicates that the best organizations invest in helping leaders and managers communicate with employees. The best organizations provide leaders and managers with the tools necessary to clearly communicate vision, values, and objectives – especially during times of change or economic difficulty. Top companies treat their managers and leaders as a special audience – offering additional training to help them manage.

So, my question to you is  - what are you doing to invest in your communication skills or the skills of your leaders and managers?  There is a direct correlation between good communication skills and bottom-line results. It makes sense, good financial sense,  to make sure employees have the soft skills, the people skills, the communication skills they need to succeed.  Far too often employers invest only in technical training and neglect soft skills training.  Now is the time to evaluate your own personal professional development plan to make sure you are investing in your communication skills (even if your employer won’t make that investment.)  If you are a leader or manager, now is the time to evaluate your organization’s training schedule to ensure a balance of technical and soft skill programs.  Give leaders, managers, and yourself the communication skills you need to succeed and for your organization to thrive.

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Posted in Employee Engagement, Leadership, communication on February 8th, 2010 by pamela