Giving Better Praise

Ombuds often coach individuals to improve interpersonal relationships by increasing the amount of positive feedback they give. Author Gretchen Rubin has a great summary of how to give better praise:

1. Be specific
2. Find a way to praise sincerely
3. Never offer praise and ask for a favor in the same conversation
4. Don’t over-praise
5. Look for something less obvious to praise
6. Don’t hesitate to praise people who get a lot of praise already
7. Praise people behind their backs
8. Beware when a person asks for your honest opinion
9. Don’t damn with faint praise

Her blog is an excellent resource for mindful living. (The Happiness Blog.)