6 More Ways to Be Encouraging at Work

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Praise for a Job Well Done

I love it when someone acknowledges my hard work, don’t you? I get all warm and fuzzy inside, knowing that someone recognized my efforts. Whether I’m at home or work, I want someone to take notice of what I’ve done. It seems like sometimes this praise can be hard won, especially at work. Most people feel like they are constantly in competition with co-workers so they hesitate to lift someone up with praise. That’s not how it works, though! When we lift someone up, we get lifted up, too. So don’t hesitate to praise someone’s efforts at work.

Strategies to Use

In this post I addressed colleague support and today we move beyond that to any work relationships. Here are some great ways to provide encouragement at all levels:

* Tell someone they are doing a great job – be specific! What are they doing well or how are they doing it well?

* Tell your boss or employee you appreciate their hard work. This is especially appreciated during a high-stress, high production time. Don’t wait until it’s over! That’s good, too, but in the heat of battle, encouragement tends to wane. Kick it up a notch!

* Ask about something personal, if that’s appropriate. Think general, though…kids, hobbies, books, movies, time on vacation. Too much interest in a colleague’s personal life can be intrusive or worse, seen as romantic interest. Keep it platonic!

* Engage in a mentoring relationship! This one can be very encouraging. And it’s important to be on both sides – the mentor and the mentee. Mentors at varying levels can be important to help our growth. My previous organization paired us with people in different areas so there was no competition for resources. That works great! Harvard Business Review discusses reverse mentoring. This is a great strategy for younger employees (think Millennials) to share knowledge and skills they have that older employees may not have (especially technology-related). This builds up both employees in a non-threatening way.

* Express gratitude! Research from Berkeley shows that “gratitude and appreciation contribute to the kind of workplace environments where employees actually want to come to work and don’t feel like cogs in a machine.”

* Share ideas and members of your network.

*BONUS! Encourage self-care. My boss has been great about encouraging employees to engage in self-care. I hear other businesses are doing the same.

What Can You Do?

I hope this gives you some starting points. Thinking to encourage at work may take a different way of thinking but can definitely benefit your work attitude and that of your colleagues. What can you do at work to encourage others at work? Let us know in the chat!

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Be well,

🌸 Andrea

Resources:

• Another can’t-go-wrong from John C. Maxwell: Mentoring 101;

• I love this book! The author came to give a talk at my son’s school and I was so happy I attended. The message was great and the book was the perfect addition to our home library. A game plan for life

• Harvard Business Review is a great resource on many topics. This one is for mentoring.
  • HBR guide to getting the mentoring you need.

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