CHAPTER 4Praise
The second joy driver is praise. We all want to be acknowledged for our efforts, contributions, and successes. Leaders who are generous and specific with their praise build more joyful teams.
In our surveys, we heard about joyful moments of praise:
“When I was promoted within my department, all my colleagues gathered in my office to congratulate me and to celebrate it with me. I felt noticed for all the years of commitment I have made to the company as an employee.”
“When our efforts and hard work are recognized by the higher‐ups, it really fills us with joy.”
In sports, praise comes easily. Great basketball coaches instruct their players that when they make a basket, they should point immediately to the teammate who made the pass or created the scoring opportunity. Acknowledging each player's contributions and cheering for each other powers the joy–success–joy cycle.
Praise seems simple: Tell people when they're doing a good job. Show your appreciation and respect. Reward hard work and progress toward goals. But our research about joy at work shows that specific kinds of praise—paired with other important elements such as autonomy and feedback—make the most impact toward creating joy.
Praise autonomous work
The first element to consider is autonomy. Praise is most meaningful when it recognizes efforts or decisions that employees have true control over. In contrast, praise for executing work that was highly directed or micromanaged is not as fulfilling.
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