By Liz Radzick of Manifest Consulting

I just helped a friend work on a project and today when it got green-lighted he called me. “I couldn’t have done this without you,” he said with sincere gratitude in his voice. (I’m still glowing from the praise!) Did I appreciate the feedback? Yes.  Am I motivated to help him more? You bet.

Bob Nelson, author of 1001 Ways to Reward Employees states that “While money is important to employees, what tends to motivate them to perform and to perform at higher levels is the thoughtful, personal kind of recognition that signifies true appreciation for a job well done.”

The good news is that giving effective positive feedback is as simple as following what I call the ACE method: Action, Circumstance, and Effect.

1.      Action

First state the specific action that you want to recognize. Two phrases you can use are:

 I heard you say

 I saw you do…(or other appropriate verb)

 e.g. Cathy, I wanted to congratulate you/thank you for a job well done.

I saw you chair the sales meeting yesterday

heard you give your presentation on Tuesday

This may seem obvious but people frequently have busy brains at work and may not immediately understand which situation you are referring to.

 2.      Circumstances/Details

Next go into detail about what the person did SPECIFICALLY that impressed you. Did they take initiative/organize well/demonstrate creativity? The more detail you can show the more you demonstrate that you really paid attention to their effort and the more meaningful the feedback becomes. Go to sites like http://www.quintcareers.com/action_skills.html to help you find descriptive verbs with impact.

e.g. I really liked how you organized the data into the 4 column spreadsheet and integrated the brand colours into the template.

3.      Effect

            Finally, talk about the impact of their actions

            Externally – on the team/company/project  (observable or tangible results)

            Internally -  how it made you personally feel/respond (emotional results)

E.g. Because you took the initiative to design the template, it really made our team stand out at the meeting and Bob, the VP of Sales was very impressed (external). As well, I really appreciated all the extra effort you made and I was grateful that you took charge of the project because it made my life a lot easier (internal).

Delivered sincerely, and in a timely manner this positive feedback will make you both feel good. Hope you enjoyed this article (you can thank me later).

By Wendy Litner

I am standing at the back of a salsa aerobics class, trying to be as invisible as wall-to-wall mirrors will allow.  I joined this gym months ago but have only had time to attend twice.  It’s not that I don’t want to go; it’s just that after such long, panty-hosed days, I can’t resist the comfort of my pajama pants.  As I find exercise to be a horrible chore that I must get done if I’m to keep fitting into my pants, I thought a dance class might be a fun way to take my medicine.  Besides, techno music happens to be a guilty pleasure of mine, and I haven’t gotten my $100-dollars-worth out of my LuLu’s yet. 

But, as Giovanni the instructor calls out steps that everyone else knows, it is obvious that I am out of my element.  My awkwardness is simply palpable. 

I try my best to follow, but I feel like Dirty Dancing’s Baby who has stumbled in on an underground scene of forbidden gyration.  The other dancers exude grace and sex appeal.  All I exude is sweat.    

 “You must feeeeeeeel the music,” Giovanni sings, instructing we’re about to take it from the top.  While all I really feeeeeeel is out of breath, I am determined to redeem myself. 

We begin the routine and, I can’t believe it- I just nailed the first count of eight!  My excitement seems to throw me off entirely, though, and I recover by resorting to my staple Bar-Mitzvah move of step clapping.  Overwhelmingly embarrassed, I look around to see if anybody has noticed but realize that not a single person is looking at me.  Giovanni himself is fixated on his ridiculously toned calves. 

Feeling completely protected in my isolation I finally let myself go.  I throw back my head, kick up my feet and start having the best time.  Although I still have no idea what I’m doing and my awkward movements can’t really be categorized as any genre of dance, the hour quickly turns into the respite I desperately need from my stressful day at the office.

My paranoia at work has led me to believe that my superiors agonize over my performance, carefully judging my every move.  By maybe, just maybe, people aren’t as concerned with my work; maybe they are really more fixated on themselves.  I always thought I needed to apply my work ethic to my exercise regime, but maybe what I really need is to apply my exercise ethic to my work.  Just as long as they don’t install wall-to-wall mirrors in my office.