by Allison De Meulder
It only takes 60 seconds to brush your teeth, eat a donut, or put up a pot of coffee. These are pretty simple and important tasks. But what if you could use 60 seconds to make a difference in someone’s life. Did you know, you could contribute to your employee’s self esteem in just one minute? This brief interaction could turn confidence into motivation. Well that is what the 60 second praise is all about. The 60 second praise is about you as a leader taking notice of one of your staff doing something outstanding or simply noteworthy. If you see something or hear something of this nature, don’t hold onto this nugget of information or slice of managerial bliss, share it as soon as you can. At work, we can be like goldfish forgetting from one task to the next. Don’t let a moment pass you by, seize the opportunity for praising an employee. Address what your staff member has done right away, so it is fresh in everyone’s minds.
Employees needing confidence, is as simple as why you may need a cup of coffee in the morning
We need motivation and a dose of energy, even on our best days. Some companies only conduct formal reviews/performance evaluations once or twice a year, if even. Not performing reviews/performance evaluations, well that’s another problem for another day. So let’s assume a company is performing reviews/performance evaluations twice a year. What happens between these six months, is it radio silent with no feedback at all? How can you find other opportunities as a manager to offer praise? Well, it’s right in front of you. Just keep your eyes and ears open. Managers and business owners are keen to know what their staff is working on and producing, so all of the amazing opportunities for praise are right in front of you. The amazing manager that you are, has allowed you to hire the best talent, so you surely have praise-worthy staff. And if you don’t, well then reevaluate, and we need to talk about your hiring strategies. Furthermore, part of the joy of being a leader is building people up. Positive reinforcement will help staff know what they are doing is headed in the right direction to achieve goals and productivity. Praise provides guidance, reinforcement and joy. Just like coffee, we need the fuel to keep our day going and reinforcement can brew motivation.
The 60 second praise does not have to be performed as a sonnet or haiku
Like many things in business, keep it simple. You don’t have to set up a meeting for this 60 seconds of praise. For example, say it as you get off of the elevator together, pass by their desk, ask them to stay a minute later after a meeting, make it informal but purposeful. Be specific in what you noticed and let them know why this action is praise-worthy, impactful and outstanding. Your message is sure to stick with them longer than 60 seconds.
Make someone’s day as often as you can, as it only takes 60 seconds.
As founder of Invitation Consultants and Matrick and Eve, she was a pioneer in the online invitation and stationery industry. As owner and CEO of the Ecommerce company, retail store and wholesale greeting card business, she managed, directed, created and collaborated. Building company culture, mentoring and empowering teams, and developing products are her passion. Allison sold her startup after 18 years and now through speaking engagements, consulting, writing a book, and hosting the podcast Emerson Built That, she has taken her experience, passion and challenges and built a voice that resonates with others who are aspiring to start a business, thinking about selling a business, and all of the fun times in between.
