One of the simplest ways to support and recognize each other at work is to offer timely, sincere, 100% positive praise. But is your praise as effective as it could be?
According to Dr. Carol Dweck, a social psychology professor at Stanford University, people develop and learn from setbacks and failures
in two very distinct ways.Some people hold what's known as a "fixed
mind-set belief" that most of their
abilities and intelligence levels are more or less set in stone.These
people tend to perceive setbacks as a threat to their identity and
sense of worth, and they tend to focus on external validation.
Conversely, other people possess a "growth mind-set belief" that their abilities and intelligence can be nurtured,so they view setbacks as opportunities for growth and hence tend
to be more persistent when the going gets rough.
So how does this relate to praise and motivation? Studies suggest that the best
approach for nurturing growth in a person is to praise their effort, not
their innate talent or intelligence.A review of 150 praise studies by
scholars at Stanford and Reed College support the findings that
praising ability, although an ego-booster for sure, actually reduces persistence.Conversely, praising a person's effort, their ability to grow, learn and to be challenged, their ability to deal with
setbacks, and praising the process a person goes through leads them to
growth mind-set behaviors, where they view setbacks as
challenges to overcome and mere bumps in the road to success.
So think about your style of praising. Do you recognize and praise only the raw talent in your workplace or are you supporting your colleagues (and your own) efforts
to tackle challenges and grow?
