Praise and Alertness

Often the most meaningful words of encouragement are those which were not prepared ahead of time. Carefully prepared commendations can be a powerful form of encouragement. However, your spontaneous comments will reveal your genuine appreciation for good character.

Following are some examples of how character can be spontaneously praised:

• As phone messages are handed to a manager just returning from a meeting he glances at them and remarks, "I appreciate the way you capture the essence of these calls and take down critical details. It helps me know how to prepare before returning the call."
• Walking out of a customer site, two repairmen board their truck, and one says to the other, "That was a tough job. I was completely stumped until you noticed that tiny stress fracture."

In both these examples, the quality of alertness was not named, but the context clarified what was being praised. Saying "I appreciate your alertness" does not necessarily communicate the genuine feeling, "I am grateful for your commitment to details."

When a character quality is named, the context or the speaker must define the term. Say, "Thanks for being alert to pick up on the details I missed."

You could compliment someone who completes a project requiring good hand-eye coordination by saying, "Good job. That took an unusual degree of alertness." In this example, the project itself provided a context that defined alertness.

Encourage character by praising those who exhibit it. However, avoid using cookie-cutter statements or empty terminology. Be alert to opportunities for spontaneous praise.