Is there such a thing as too much praise at work?
Some managers think so. Here’s why they’re wrong.
“You can’t hug your kids too much”.
That’s what I told one of my colleagues when talking about encouraging our teams. Here’s why it matters.
There are managers who worry about praising their team members too much.
As though doing so will somehow create unmanageable, big-headed, entitled monsters.
It’s crazy.
Our team members aren’t children. And the manager/team member relationship should never be seen as a parent/child relationship.
But our team members are human beings.
And worrying about encouraging them too much makes as much sense as worrying about hugging your kids too much.
The problem isn’t the presence of encouragement.
The problem is the absence of tough conversations that are required for others’ growth.
So, don’t pull back on praising your team. Go nuts with it.
But push forward at the same time to balance it with improvement advice and accountability, when required to help them – and the team – be their best.
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