Human Relations in Organizations: Applications and Skill Building 8th Edition by Robert Lussier

Exercise 38

Think of a job situation in which you did something well, deserving of praise and recognition. You may have saved the company some money, you may have turned a dissatisfied customer into a happy one, and so on. If you have never worked or done something well, interview someone who has. Put yourself in a supervisory position and write out the praise you would give to an employee for doing what you did.
Briefly describe the situation:
Step 1. Tell the employee exactly what was done correctly.
Step 2. Tell the employee why the behavior is important.
Step 3. Stop for a moment of silence. (Count to five silently.)
Step 4. Encourage repeat performance.
Objective: To develop your skill at giving praise.
AACSB: The primary AACSB learning standard skills developed through this exercise are communication abilities and leadership.
Preparation: You will need your prepared praise.
Experience: You will give and receive praise.
Break into groups of five or six. One at a time, give the praise.
1. Explain the situation.
2. Select a group member to receive the praise.
3. Give the praise. (Talk; don't read it off the paper.) Try to select the position you would use if you were actually giving the praise on the job (for example, both standing, both sitting).
4. Integration. The group gives the giver of praise feedback on how he or she did:
• Step 1. Was the praise very specific and descriptive? Did the giver look the employee in the eye?
• Step 2. Was the importance of the behavior clearly stated?
• Step 3. Did the giver stop for a moment of silence?
• Step 4. Did the giver encourage repeat performance? Did the giver of praise touch the receiver [optional]?
• Did the praise take less than one minute? Was the praise sincere?
Conclusion: The instructor leads a class discussion and/or makes concluding remarks.
Application (2- 4 minutes): What did I learn from this experience? How will I use this knowledge in the future?
Sharing: Volunteers give their answers to the application section.