Health Tips about Cardiovascular Diseases
Positive Communication in the Workplace – Praise and Appreciation
Civil Service Bureau and Hong Kong Family Welfare Society
Here are some useful tips to achieve effective communication through praising:
Be sincereHeartfelt appreciation is always most preferred. Praise should be expressed in a clear and natural tone, even better if a touch of personal feelings is added. For example, a supervisor may say to his/her fellow colleague: “You are always dedicated to duty. I have every confidence in you for taking up the job.”
Be timely and specificTo be effective, appreciation should be delivered in a timely manner, with specific descriptions of the situations and behaviour. This can make team members feel the sincerity of the remarks, which are neither made simply out of courtesy nor flattering in nature. This also enables them to identify areas where they have done well to deserve the praise. For example, you may show admiration by saying “Just now you’ve kept a cool head in interacting with the public, and your suggested solution to the complaint was specific and feasible.”
Compliments and recognition may not necessarily be directed at work outcomes. You may express admiration for everything in our daily life, however trivial it may seem. For example, doing exercise regularly is laudable as it is a good habit for colleagues.
Wholehearted attempt may not pay off in the end. However, the courage to give it a try should be applauded and recognised.
Use appropriate body language 
Making eye contact and using other kinds of body language, such as getting closer and leaning forward slightly, can enhance the effectiveness of praise.
In our daily interaction with colleagues, we should focus more on their strengths and appreciate from our heart all the efforts they made. It is believed that positive communication can facilitate smooth delivery of our work.