We need to catch people doing things right. What is right? Is it perfection? If you get 80% on a test – is that right? Is it good even though it is not perfect? What if the usual was 55%, but today the score improved to 70%; is that good? I think most would offer praise, which of course would be the right thing to do. If you were critical of the missed marks in these examples, you probably shouldn't be reading this blog.
The weird thing is that in the workplace, we do criticize in the gap between right and perfection. Instead of recognizing what is good, or right, we magnify the areas that are less than perfect. The reasoning: calling that which is not perfect, "good," is not doing my job. If my boss knew that I was providing positive recognition for this, that is less than perfect, he would think I don't understand the standard.
The reality: it will never be perfect!
If you recognize everything, or every part that is right (good), those that did the work will try harder than ever to bring the remaining parts to good, usually without you ever having to mention them. They will just want more of that praise and will work harder than ever to receive it.
Not being able to find something good says more about you the leader than it does about anyone else.
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