To Boost Employee (aka kids) Performance, Praise Effort – Not Achievement

So this article is not about parenting per se… however, as you’ll see, the psychology required for nurturing kids and nurturing employee’s is remarkably similar. Just insert ‘kids’ for ‘employees’ and you’ll get the drift. We’re sure you’ll agree.

To Boost Employee Performance, Praise Effort – Not Achievement
By Jeff Haden | Inc

Believe it or not, sometimes, “Wow, you’re brilliant!” is the wrong thing to say.

Praise motivates. Praise encourages. Praise inspires.

Sometimes.

Depending on the approach you take, praising an employee can actually have the opposite effect. The difference lies in whether we assume skill is based on innate ability or on hard work and effort.

Put another way, are people born with certain talents, or can talent be developed? (I think talent can definitely be developed, but that’s just me.)

According to research on achievement and success by Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, people tend to embrace one of two mental approaches to talent:

Fixed mindset: The belief that intelligence, ability, and skill are inborn and relatively fixed–we “have” what we were born with. People with a fixed mindset typically say things like “I’m just not that smart” or “Math is not my thing.”

Growth mindset: The belief that intelligence, ability, and skill can be developed through effort–we are what we work to become. People with a growth mindset typically say things like “With a little more time, I’ll get it” or “That’s OK. I’ll give it another try.”

That difference in perspective can be molded by the kind of praise we receive, and that often starts when we’re kids.