Offering Effective Praise - Brief Article

Camping Magazine, Nov, 2000

Praise is one of the best motivators for staff. To ensure staff members know you truly appreciate their contributions, consider these suggestions:

* Don't hide praise behind criticism. Mention only the positive item. Coupling praise with criticism rarely sounds sincere. The employee is more likely to remember the criticism and assume the praise was included only to soften the blow.

* Be specific. Instead of a vague "good job," praise the specific skill, accomplishment, or deed. For example, "You exercised good judgment and responded well to the conflict between the campers this morning."