MOORE: Praise in public

Imagine yourself in a sales meeting, raising your hand to ask a question, only to be suddenly criticized. The embarrassment hits you like a wave, and while you tell yourself to shrug it off, hours later, the sting hasn’t faded. You’re angry, replaying the scene in your mind, thinking of how it could have been handled better.

In the next meeting, you’re hesitant, afraid to ask questions, choosing to quietly figure things out on your own, not wanting to risk another round of public humiliation.

This experience highlights a fundamental principle of effective leadership.

In his bestselling book “The Art of the Leader,” William A. Cohen outlines various strategies for attracting followers and believers to your business or cause. One of the most crucial rules he emphasizes is to praise publicly and criticize privately.

Inevitably, if you’re leading an organization, you’ll find yourself in situations where someone triggers your anger and messes up badly. Imagine a pastor at a church who discovers that a trusted staff member mishandled funds, leading to a significant shortfall just before a major outreach event.

Or think of a business owner whose key employee fails to secure an important client because they need to prepare adequately for the meeting. In these moments, your first instinct might be to express your frustration publicly, but as Cohen advises, resisting that urge is critical.

He says, “If you really want to make enemies and make your job of leadership difficult, just tell someone that he or she did something wrong in front of others. ... On the other hand, everyone likes praise. And when we receive praise, we’d like everyone to know about it. So, the simple secret is to praise in public but criticize in private.”

In the book, “The One Minute Manager” by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson, the authors emphasize the second part of this concept, albeit by a different name. They call it “Catching someone doing something right.”

This approach recognizes and reinforces positive behavior, creating a culture where employees feel valued and motivated.

By highlighting what people are doing well, you boost morale and encourage them to continue performing at a high level. This method aligns perfectly with the idea of praising publicly, as it ensures that positive actions are acknowledged and celebrated in front of others, reinforcing the behavior you want to see more of in your organization.

So now you may be wondering, “When I criticize in private, how can I minimize a negative reaction?”

“The Art of the Leader” has a strategy for handling criticism as well. Imagine you have an employee, Tom, who is generally a strong performer but recently missed an important deadline, causing a delay in a critical project. You know you need to address the issue, but your approach will make all the difference.

Cohen suggests a balanced approach: start by acknowledging something Tom is doing well. For instance, you might say, “Tom, I appreciate the way you’ve been handling client communications — attention to detail is excellent.”

This sets a positive tone and reassures Tom that his contributions are valued.

Then, you can segue into the area of concern: “However, we need to talk about the recent missed deadline. We must stay on schedule, especially for projects as critical as this one. Let’s figure out what happened and how we can prevent it in the future.”

By framing the criticism within a context of appreciation, you address the issue and maintain the employee’s morale and motivation.

Whether praising publicly or criticizing privately, the goal is to guide your team toward growth and success. Recognizing what your employees do well while addressing areas for improvement with tact fosters trust and continuous development. This approach strengthens individual performance and creates a more cohesive organization where every team member feels valued and motivated to excel.