Compliments that Reach the "Heart" of Employees
As a manager you are responsible for the smooth running of
company affairs. You know that this takes the effort of every
person who reports to you.
When an employee has brought a big project in on-time and on-
budget you may want to express your gratitude in a personal way
that shows total understanding and appreciation.
You may want to provide a compliment that will motivate him/her,
as well as to thank them for the work that they have already
achieved.
Here’s how to make your compliments reach their heart, not just
their head, to impart a positive affirmation that will make them
feel that you really understand and care.
There are three parts to a successful compliment, namely: the
Reason, the Feeling and the Result. Putting these parts together
will send a message to your employee that will lift their spirits
and send their ego flying!
THE REASON
To give a successful compliment you need to identify what the
other person did that encouraged you. Why do you want to give the
compliment? What did your employee do to warrant it?
You need to pinpoint the reason why you want to give them a
compliment so that your employee can understand why you are
giving it.
Describe the project that they were working on. Don’t use only a
single sentence – provide at least three sentences to describe
your employee’s involvement with the project.
When you see exceptional work performance there is reason to
provide a compliment that imparts meaning, so go into as much
detail as possible about the project itself.
THE FEELING
How did you feel when your employee completed the project and
produced a result that was much higher than expected?
When a compliment is given that seems to have no just cause, it
appears to be superficial. Terms like “Wow” or “Fantastic” are
loud expressions suitable to be used at baseball or basketball
matches and won’t suffice to touch the heart of an employee.
You will need to put your own emotions into words – and for some
of us, this can be close to impossible. Here are some emotive
words that you can use to help describe how you may be feeling:
grateful, excited, surprised, happy, pleasant, relaxed, peaceful,
thrilled, tickled pink, joyful, elated, ecstatic, pleased,
thankful, relieved, overjoyed, glad.
Disclosing your feelings or emotions to an employee produces
communication at an emotional level, bypassing the intellect.
This is a deeper level of communication that reaches for the
heart, not just the head.
Since most work relationships are driven by position (e.g.
manager to employee), you may find this part of the message more
difficult to deliver than expected. However this is where you are
able to produce the greatest gains in manager-employee relations.
THE RESULT
In order to create a compliment that reaches the heart, you need
to be able to tell an employee how their actions have helped out
the business. Be as factual about this as possible. You will need
to provide some visible figures that represent the percentages
gained as a result of their work.
For example, did it save the company money or eliminate expense?
Did the project have any unforeseen problems that were easily
solved by the employee? Why are things different because of their
work?
This is part three of the message and provides a meaningful basis
for awarding your employee a compliment that they deserve.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
Here is the formula for producing a great compliment that touches
the heart:
REASON + FEELING + RESULT = GREAT COMPLIMENT
With a little practice this formula provides you the ability to
land a meaningful compliment into the heart of your employee that
says quite strongly, “Well done!”
Author
George Whitecraft
http://whitecraftshoppingmarketing.biz/info/l/tbp
http://whitecraftshoppingmarketing.biz/info/l/pba
posted by George @ 9:41 PM
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