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Tip 860: Ignore any negative outcomes. |
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Even a slight mention of a negative result will taint your compliment about the positive effort. If you're praising Joanne for doing an excellent job in drafting a contract, leave unsaid that the customer negotiated a better price in the final go-around. If you're complimenting the audio-visual manager about lavish stage decorations and lights, don't lament the fact that attendance at the convention was disappointingly low. Even though the low attendance was no reflection on the meeting planner, that negative thought puts a damper on the praise and the overall feeling of accomplishment. |
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Tip 861: Toss out a few criticisms occasionally. |
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Few people have the distinction of being upbeat and positive about everything that happens around them. If you're so lucky to have that kind of disposition and the wisdom to keep your mouth shut when you don't have good things to say, you'll have to alter your style slightly when praising. If you're always positive, people may not give much credence to your praising comments. Consider occasionally saying what you don't like so people believe you when you tell them what you do like about their work, their behavior, or their actions. |
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Tip 862: Avoid praising one person to criticize another. |
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A subtle way to criticize someone is to praise another person in his or her presence. Bert returns from vacation to hear: "Sharon certainly did a thorough job of tying up loose ends on all her projects before she left for vacation. It would have been nice if everyone had taken the time to do so." Parents make similar remarks about the obedient child to the "delinquent" child. The results? Resentment. |
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Tip 863: Follow awkwardly accepted praise with a question. |
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To lessen the awkward moment when your compliments might make other people stammer and stutter, simply follow your compliment with a question. The other person can focus on answering your question without having to handle a response to the praise. Examples: "Nice job in handling that customer. Has he been in here before?" "I like your menu selections for all the convention mealsmost people just take whatever they offer and don't put |
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