There's the interesting question : should leaders dish out harsh words in public and give quiet praise in private - or vice versa. There's always good and bad things to say : just the method, that differs.
Would you rather be publicly criticized and then receive a quiet word of encouragement later, or be publicly praised and then later find out your leader really thought your performance was subpar?
What does it do for the morale of other members of the team to see someone singled out for criticism, or someone singled out for praise? Does public praise sow seeds of jealousy? Does public humiliation sow seeds of fear?
I'm thinking along the lines of harsh words in public and a quiet word of encouragement later is the way to go. Too much resentment arises when a leader singles out someone for praise, and causes division between the group. Animosity, if there is any, is most safely taken on the shoulders of the leader for being too harsh.
6 comments:
Depends on the leader, and his team, and the psychology of his team.
I expect that a leader of a nation should prove himself tough and resourceful, so no praise ought to be given in public, whereas criticism and punishment ought to be publically done.
A team leader of a volunteer group, who functions on goodwill, would probably offer compliments in public and criticism one-on-one.
I don't have any opinions about being the leader of a company.
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CatR.
I think both should be given in private. Either one give rise to competition between the members and can cause ill will if done publically.
Praising one causes the rest to feel marginalised and unneeded. Hence performance decreases as people consider their work as not important.
Scolding in public is in itself humiliation in public. I personally hate it and will be biting my tongue if told off publically more so than privately.
Trying to do both in public is almost impossible.
So yes I wold suggest both in quiet. And I wouldn't suggest scolding anyway at any time. Firm encouragement is always the best. You don't have to tell someone they suck if they already know it.
It seems like if you're going to do both (give praise and criticism) on the same task, might as well do both in private so you don't split up the feedback or send conflicting signals. Or rather give them in a small group that's all going to get feedback on that same task.
If that can't be achieved, negative feedback in a group would probably generate more sympathy for the target, but I kinda agree with Ash - if I'm told off publicly, especially when I'm being scolded, I don't think I'd take it well.
So yeah.
a leader who says nothing when bad things or good things happen, is not much a leader. silence, is a sign of apathy and indifference, and it's hard for a group to feel motivated that way.
a leader can say good things and bad things out loud.
'That wasn't so hot guys'
'Great work team'
A leader does not have to go
'George, you were meant to get that ball. Better get your act into shape'
so perhaps you dind't understand what my point was.
When someon is not performing, ten to one everyone knows it including the person himself. And even when you tell him in private everyone knows that you do. It just saves him the embarrasment.
When someon is not performing, ten to one everyone knows it including the person himself
in my experience the odds are the other way. as a team player i am expected to keep my head down and perform my task - not watch to see what others are doing. the only person who watches like that is the leader, and i would like the reassurance that he or she knows exactly what went wrong, and why.
it is quite frustrating to be under someone who doesn't give the impression that he's watching everyone like a hawk and i am quite liable to leave and never return again. general comments like "that wasn't so hot guys" just isn't confidence inspiring because it is (often) what inept leaders say when they themselves do not know what happened.
it's more about what impressions and what vibes a leader gives off, rather than his actual capabilities. then different "acts" are required for different groups.
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