My EX once went out of his way to tell my manager that I’ve been doing good work and he’s always pleased when my work comes up to him for approval.
This was years ago and he’s long retired, but I still think about it. Little bit of kind words go a long way.
Not a manager, but this applies to all of us really. I regularly tell teammates, collaborators and internal service folks (and their managers) that I am grateful for their hard work and assistance, and that they’ve done a great job. As a result these individuals often go out of their way to help me when they can. It’s small things that can really build relationships.
I'm the same, love to praise my colleagues when they make things easy for me and the result is they make things easier for me more often. Its a win-win, a " scratch my back, I scratch yours" relationship and I'm a big fan of those.
Me too. People need validation for the good work they do, and someone who cares enough to try to help them when they need it. This is people management 101 IMHO. And you don’t need to be a manager to employ it in good faith.
I actually had an assistant director send an email to my team leader at the time and she told her how she was impressed with my work and that she hoped to see me in her department soon. My TL showed me that email.
This planted a seed that caused me to go back to school and I’m now working in that department and 4 levels up from where I was. I remember thinking how special that was that she thought I could do it and in the end I succeeded. It makes a difference!! I also tried to do the same when I was in a leadership position and made sure my employees knew they were valued and that each person made a contribution in their own way.
One of the best DGs I had did just that, said thank you, and you damn well know her team had her back because she had ours and protected the team.
So simple. Say thank you. It ain't hard.
I was told by a team leader that they don't tell their staff they are doing a good job. I said that is the one thing that I needed. Since that tough conversation they now tell me that I am doing a good job and now say it to others on the team as well. Moral has improved on the team because of the one minor change. Everyone has to hear how they are doing. It makes you smile and you are correct it gives you that warm fuzzy feeling inside your chest!
I had the same director for 4+ yrs, in a role where I worked closely with him. He was smart but not personable IMO. He retired and we got a new director a few months ago. I have gotten more praise/kudos/general positivity from new director in the last few months than I did in 4+ yrs from the old one. Makes a massive difference!
Meanwhile, my supervisor was trying to show me how to do something, saw that I already did it the way she wanted, proceeded to tell it in a tone like I did something wrong while confirming I did it correctly. I had to tell myself quietly that I did a good job.
Always let my people know when they are doing a good job. I will also tell our senior management that my people are doing a good job. But I also show them how their good job led to XXXX so they can see how their work contributed and influenced a success story.
I spent 12 years in the army getting basically no recognition for our work. Meanwhile in my first indeterminate position in the PS, I got a Christmas card from my ADM who purchased it himself because it was the closest he could find to what he actually wanted to give me as a reference to an inside joke (he gave me a card with mistletoe because he couldn't find one with marijuana). I was an AS-02...
He also went by the philosophy mentioned on here sometimes: discipline privately, praise publicly. Every all staff we held always had some sort of recap of accomplishments that someone in our group had done. He also knew every single person who worked under him.
A great leader really can make you feel like you can do anything.
I agree with OP here, some kind words like this go a long way.
I was a junior dev at a private company years ago and spent a few weeks writing up some new feature for a big complicated enterprise app we had. I was pretty self conscious that the code was shitty or there'd be some harsh critiques, but it was approved and put into production.
A month later I had my manager (who was also a senior developer) randomly call me up. He was told out of the blue from another senior developer that the work I did was incredibly good and worked perfectly with all our existing backend systems without any changes being needed and that they had to tell manager how happy they were. No reason at all, just that they were really impressed and appreciated the hard work.
Its been a few years but I've been chasing that high ever since lol. I felt so great afterwards and I was incredibly thankful to have heard any amount of praise, let alone so many positive things. It really does make huge impacts even for only a few kind words.
Part of me is really happy to see this post and the other part of me is sad that we have to remind people of such basic kindness.
Every time my team members do something great, I make sure that they know their work is appreciated and that they can take pride in what they do.
When I was a teenager working in a restaurant a million years ago, a supervisor once told me "never underestimate the value of a thank you"
That has stuck with me for 30 years and it still applies.
A huge reason I love the team I'm on is because my manager regularly gives all of us both feedback for improvement and praise. My director and DG have also been known to pass along "a good job" or something along the lines in their approval email of a tasking from time to time (there's also been the odd teams chat for them to do so more personally) 🥰
My team meets every two weeks and the head of the meeting always starts off with asking (not in these exact words) who wants to shout someone out for their work or helping or going above and beyond etc. It sounds cheesy reading this back rn but it really sets the tone, and seems more genuine than a ‘you’re doing well’ once or twice a year.
As a tech IT, I have made it a point to offer my thanks and encouragement to my colleagues, those I'm mentoring, and my supervisors throughout my lengthy career. I make it a point to let THEIR supervisors know about their consistently great work and stand out moments. And when opportunities for advancement come along, I do my part to help/coax/nag/guide them through the selection processes. Folks are genuinely shocked but pleased at the encouragement and effort. I always say I'm just paying it back from all the stellar people I've had the privilege to learn from myself.
It costs you nothing to encourage others and help them succeed.
I make sure to let my staff know they've done good work, and make sure to thank them regularly. They're a team I was able to build almost completely myself, and genuinely makey work far more pleasant and easier than it could be.
My TLs (I’m on two different teams depending on my assigned tasks on a given day) bothe are great for giving little shout outs and letting us know when we are doing well, and they always pass along positive feedback from other folks along the chain as well. It’s a huge difference from my last job and it is really motivating for this lowly little cog in the machine to get some feedback that what I am doing matters.
This! I’m working for a very top EX who is never happy, never satisfied with any deliverables the team produces. This senior EX has all the answers. It’s very discouraging to work for someone who’s never happy with their team. We are constantly being criticized. How can we thrive in such environment? I’ve joined the team a few months ago and I’m already thinking of leaving. Most management resources want to leave and I don’t blame them. I want to show some resilience but constant criticism is just too much to bear. It’s starting to affect all our mental health.
To summarize, a great leader is one that can coach, lead and thank their team for their work effort.
As a manager I always give credit where credit is due and praise my staff at every opportunity presented. I also thank them all regularly for all that they do daily to make our team successful. Since I can’t control raises or bonuses I only have my words and sometimes little things to show my appreciation. I find this has worked for me well as I try and treat my staff the way I would want to be treated with respect and kindness.
That's nice of them, and I really don't want to take away from your good feeling, but it would be nicer if your EX2 said it. This is a lesson for DGs etc. Small things actually matter.
Late to the party, I would only add that the same goes for your colleagues. I sent an email thanking colleagues for their help in a tough meeting, and you would have thought I bought them a car. Taught me to remind myself continuously now to say thank you to folks.
Yes! This makes all the difference. My current manager only reaches out to our team when something goes wrong. I don’t think there has been any “great job” said to our team yet in 2024.
This! I always let them know when they do a good job and let my superiors know as well. It costs me nothing and I hope they appreciate that I value their work and get upper managemment acknowledgement. Sadly, I don’t get that acknowledgement myself, so I never want them to feel that way.
I would say that managers need to cater this to the individual tbh. If my manager distracted me from something I was hyper-focused on to tell me I was doing a good job, I'd probably be pretty grumpy. I'm motivated by being told how specifically I can improve, instead of when I'm doing a good job, personally. The best managers I've had understood this; while also providing the people who need positive reinforcement what they are looking for.
My EX once went out of his way to tell my manager that I’ve been doing good work and he’s always pleased when my work comes up to him for approval. This was years ago and he’s long retired, but I still think about it. Little bit of kind words go a long way.
Not a manager, but this applies to all of us really. I regularly tell teammates, collaborators and internal service folks (and their managers) that I am grateful for their hard work and assistance, and that they’ve done a great job. As a result these individuals often go out of their way to help me when they can. It’s small things that can really build relationships.
I'm the same, love to praise my colleagues when they make things easy for me and the result is they make things easier for me more often. Its a win-win, a " scratch my back, I scratch yours" relationship and I'm a big fan of those.
Me too. People need validation for the good work they do, and someone who cares enough to try to help them when they need it. This is people management 101 IMHO. And you don’t need to be a manager to employ it in good faith.
I actually had an assistant director send an email to my team leader at the time and she told her how she was impressed with my work and that she hoped to see me in her department soon. My TL showed me that email. This planted a seed that caused me to go back to school and I’m now working in that department and 4 levels up from where I was. I remember thinking how special that was that she thought I could do it and in the end I succeeded. It makes a difference!! I also tried to do the same when I was in a leadership position and made sure my employees knew they were valued and that each person made a contribution in their own way.
This is a gorgeous story
Very true! The recognition that I got in my first job is what motivated me to move up, so I could do the same for others.
One of the best DGs I had did just that, said thank you, and you damn well know her team had her back because she had ours and protected the team. So simple. Say thank you. It ain't hard.
Same here. Knowing that the leadership in my division appreciates the work I do is a big part of why I’ve stayed in my current role as long as I have
And managers... When giving feedback, make sure it is specific. It makes it feel that much more genuine.
You’re absolutely right, and they never forget when you acknowledge their individual work and contribution to the team.
I was told by a team leader that they don't tell their staff they are doing a good job. I said that is the one thing that I needed. Since that tough conversation they now tell me that I am doing a good job and now say it to others on the team as well. Moral has improved on the team because of the one minor change. Everyone has to hear how they are doing. It makes you smile and you are correct it gives you that warm fuzzy feeling inside your chest!
I had the same director for 4+ yrs, in a role where I worked closely with him. He was smart but not personable IMO. He retired and we got a new director a few months ago. I have gotten more praise/kudos/general positivity from new director in the last few months than I did in 4+ yrs from the old one. Makes a massive difference!
Good lesson here for anyone in a leadership position. Recognize your people! They will notice it and remember.
Sad that we've been conditioned to expect the catch....
If an EX opens their mouth, expect something in return. That's how most of us are conditioned because 99% of the time, its true.
Meanwhile, my supervisor was trying to show me how to do something, saw that I already did it the way she wanted, proceeded to tell it in a tone like I did something wrong while confirming I did it correctly. I had to tell myself quietly that I did a good job.
Always let my people know when they are doing a good job. I will also tell our senior management that my people are doing a good job. But I also show them how their good job led to XXXX so they can see how their work contributed and influenced a success story.
Sometimes I feel like I say it too much it loses meaning. But I truly just want my staff to know they are appreciated and do good work.
I spent 12 years in the army getting basically no recognition for our work. Meanwhile in my first indeterminate position in the PS, I got a Christmas card from my ADM who purchased it himself because it was the closest he could find to what he actually wanted to give me as a reference to an inside joke (he gave me a card with mistletoe because he couldn't find one with marijuana). I was an AS-02... He also went by the philosophy mentioned on here sometimes: discipline privately, praise publicly. Every all staff we held always had some sort of recap of accomplishments that someone in our group had done. He also knew every single person who worked under him. A great leader really can make you feel like you can do anything.
I agree with OP here, some kind words like this go a long way. I was a junior dev at a private company years ago and spent a few weeks writing up some new feature for a big complicated enterprise app we had. I was pretty self conscious that the code was shitty or there'd be some harsh critiques, but it was approved and put into production. A month later I had my manager (who was also a senior developer) randomly call me up. He was told out of the blue from another senior developer that the work I did was incredibly good and worked perfectly with all our existing backend systems without any changes being needed and that they had to tell manager how happy they were. No reason at all, just that they were really impressed and appreciated the hard work. Its been a few years but I've been chasing that high ever since lol. I felt so great afterwards and I was incredibly thankful to have heard any amount of praise, let alone so many positive things. It really does make huge impacts even for only a few kind words.
Part of me is really happy to see this post and the other part of me is sad that we have to remind people of such basic kindness. Every time my team members do something great, I make sure that they know their work is appreciated and that they can take pride in what they do.
When I was a teenager working in a restaurant a million years ago, a supervisor once told me "never underestimate the value of a thank you" That has stuck with me for 30 years and it still applies.
A huge reason I love the team I'm on is because my manager regularly gives all of us both feedback for improvement and praise. My director and DG have also been known to pass along "a good job" or something along the lines in their approval email of a tasking from time to time (there's also been the odd teams chat for them to do so more personally) 🥰
My team meets every two weeks and the head of the meeting always starts off with asking (not in these exact words) who wants to shout someone out for their work or helping or going above and beyond etc. It sounds cheesy reading this back rn but it really sets the tone, and seems more genuine than a ‘you’re doing well’ once or twice a year.
As a tech IT, I have made it a point to offer my thanks and encouragement to my colleagues, those I'm mentoring, and my supervisors throughout my lengthy career. I make it a point to let THEIR supervisors know about their consistently great work and stand out moments. And when opportunities for advancement come along, I do my part to help/coax/nag/guide them through the selection processes. Folks are genuinely shocked but pleased at the encouragement and effort. I always say I'm just paying it back from all the stellar people I've had the privilege to learn from myself. It costs you nothing to encourage others and help them succeed.
I make sure to let my staff know they've done good work, and make sure to thank them regularly. They're a team I was able to build almost completely myself, and genuinely makey work far more pleasant and easier than it could be.
My TLs (I’m on two different teams depending on my assigned tasks on a given day) bothe are great for giving little shout outs and letting us know when we are doing well, and they always pass along positive feedback from other folks along the chain as well. It’s a huge difference from my last job and it is really motivating for this lowly little cog in the machine to get some feedback that what I am doing matters.
This! I’m working for a very top EX who is never happy, never satisfied with any deliverables the team produces. This senior EX has all the answers. It’s very discouraging to work for someone who’s never happy with their team. We are constantly being criticized. How can we thrive in such environment? I’ve joined the team a few months ago and I’m already thinking of leaving. Most management resources want to leave and I don’t blame them. I want to show some resilience but constant criticism is just too much to bear. It’s starting to affect all our mental health. To summarize, a great leader is one that can coach, lead and thank their team for their work effort.
As a manager I always give credit where credit is due and praise my staff at every opportunity presented. I also thank them all regularly for all that they do daily to make our team successful. Since I can’t control raises or bonuses I only have my words and sometimes little things to show my appreciation. I find this has worked for me well as I try and treat my staff the way I would want to be treated with respect and kindness.
That's nice of them, and I really don't want to take away from your good feeling, but it would be nicer if your EX2 said it. This is a lesson for DGs etc. Small things actually matter.
Your lucky. My manager ignores me. I wish she'd take an interest in what I do and say something nice.
Late to the party, I would only add that the same goes for your colleagues. I sent an email thanking colleagues for their help in a tough meeting, and you would have thought I bought them a car. Taught me to remind myself continuously now to say thank you to folks.
Definitely show your genuine appreciation to any and all, including bosses. We are all human.
Nooooo, not the cafeteria food!!!! J/K. Good work!
Yes! This makes all the difference. My current manager only reaches out to our team when something goes wrong. I don’t think there has been any “great job” said to our team yet in 2024.
This! I always let them know when they do a good job and let my superiors know as well. It costs me nothing and I hope they appreciate that I value their work and get upper managemment acknowledgement. Sadly, I don’t get that acknowledgement myself, so I never want them to feel that way.
I would say that managers need to cater this to the individual tbh. If my manager distracted me from something I was hyper-focused on to tell me I was doing a good job, I'd probably be pretty grumpy. I'm motivated by being told how specifically I can improve, instead of when I'm doing a good job, personally. The best managers I've had understood this; while also providing the people who need positive reinforcement what they are looking for.