Say thanks, and mean it

Give credit where it's due, and connect your praise with the value your team members delivered for more effective results.

Practice showing gratitude to your team, especially when someone has done something brilliantly. Make it meaningful: people can tell when you’re just going through the motions. Don’t just say, “thanks for doing that, it was great.” Explain why you think it was great. Tell them about the impact that it had, or who else in the organisation has noticed and said something.

Make sure you relay praise you’ve heard from people outside your team too. It can be really motivating to hear that your work is appreciated outside of your immediate circle of colleagues and team-mates. As with your own praise, remember to relay the context. Don’t just say, “David told me you did a really good job.” Make sure you find out from David what was so good about it, and pass that one too. Not only is the praise more meaningful, but it also provides positive reinforcement, making it more likely your team member will do that thing again in future.