Leadership Snack - Stop Praising Employees Like Golden Retrievers

Overview This Medium post by Oren Yam highlights the pitfalls of generic praise that sounds like you are talking to a dog. It argues that such feedback does not help employees improve and can even demotivate them. The author provides practical guidelines for delivering specific, growth-focused feedback that reinforces desired behaviors.

Key Takeaways

• Avoid vague, dog-like praise such as "good job" without context.
• Focus feedback on observable actions and outcomes.
• Tie praise to company values and future growth opportunities.
• Use a balanced approach that includes constructive criticism.
• Encourage a culture where feedback is frequent and specific.

Who Would Benefit

• Engineering managers looking to improve team morale.
• Tech leads who want to give more effective feedback.
• HR professionals designing recognition programs.
• Any leader aiming to build a high-performance culture.

Frameworks and Methodologies

• Situation-Behavior-Impact (SBI) feedback model.
• Growth mindset principles.
• Continuous performance management practices.