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Look for Ways to Praise

April 19, 1999

"To promote a spirit of camaraderie within your team, be quick to recognize your teammates for their accomplishments.  This is essential, in that people who don't know how to give credit where it is due soon find that people don't want to work with them. 

Keep an eye out for these kinds of achievements to praise your peers for:
* On-the-job successes.  This includes reaching goals and objectives, generating good ideas, helping you with a tough task, or going above and beyond the call of duty.  It is one thing to receive praise from a boss.  But it can be even more meaningful when teammates recognize accomplishments because they do the same kinds of tasks themselves.  They know what it really takes to succeed.
* Small courtesies.  Don't forget to recognize when teammates consistently do little things that add to the spirit of giving.   Welcoming and orienting new team members, taking messages for peers who are out, or even filling the copier with paper whenever it runs out - these are all things that make life at work a little nicer.  Why not tell your peers that you notice?
* Outside accomplishments.  Pay close attention to your teammates' outside activities.  Acknowledging awards for hobbies, community work, and other interests shows your peers that you care about them as people, not just as coworkers.

Whether you choose to recognize your peers with a small note or a big pat on the back, they'll appreciate your interest (Teamwork, 1996, p.3)."

Reference:  Staff. (1996, April 1).  Look for ways to praise.  Teamwork:  Your Personal Guide to Working Successfully with People.

When was the last time you praised your office staff for their role in making your office successful? 

*  Teamwork:  Your Personal Guide to Working Successfully with People is available on loan at the OSU Leadership Center.  A listing of all the Leadership Center's resources is available on our website www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~leaders

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Created: 2009-01-06, Updated: 2009-03-12