So so far we've been talking about developmental feedback or feedback or more critical feedback. Let's talk a bit more about positive feedback. Because positive feedback is a wonderful way to get people to perform better to be more engaged. And we also know from research that if people do not feel properly recognized or receive very little positive feedback, that's a very good reason for people to leave an organization to leave their boss. Now, if it is such that positive feedback is such a wonderful thing, why don't we give it more often? Well, it turns out that the people who give it sometimes simply do not know how to give it.
They might not appreciate it themselves and therefore don't use it themselves. No news is good news. And you also have people who think that if you give positive feedback, people will slack off People will not feel the pressure anymore, and will not work good anymore. And none of these arguments work very well. But it is important to first of all make a distinction between recognition and praise recognition is simply recognizing that somebody has been doing something, and that they have added value in that you thank them for it. The other part is praise and praise belongs more to exceptional behavior.
And you need to explain why that behavior was so exceptional. If you praise everything, you basically praise nothing and it loses its value. So a couple of things you need to keep in mind when you are giving positive feedback. First of all, describe what is the behavior you are giving feedback on. Second of all, make sure you do it in a timely manner. It's no good waiting half a year to give it back at the yearly performance review because most people have forgotten it by then and it loses its power to motivate and last but not least, Taylor To the person you're giving the feedback to.
Some people like to be recognized in public with a lot of people around. And some people prefer to do it in private or just an email. When you're receiving feedback, it's important to say two words. Thank you. Sometimes we're very modest. Sometimes we're very perfectionistic.
And we say no, no, no, I don't need that. I don't want that. Apart from the fact that we do all need it. It also shows tremendous respect to the giver. And it shows trusted a giver when you say thank you, and the relationship will grow stronger and stronger.