By Diane Sofranec, Managing Editor
“Great job.” “Amazing work.” “I wish I could clone you.” When was the last time your boss told you you’re an asset to the company?
If you know you’re good job at your job because your boss tells you so, consider yourself lucky. Positive feedback makes you feel valued. But your company benefits, too. Here’s why.
Positive feedback sends the message that you’re modeling correct behavior.
If you know you are completing your tasks as expected or better than expected, you will continue to demonstrate this acceptable behavior. A motivated worker who gets the job done right is exactly what every company needs.
Positive feedback boosts morale.
You spend eight hours a day in the workplace, so you might as well be happy while you’re there. Happy employees tend to want to stay at their current jobs, not look for a better place to work. They also show enthusiasm for the work they must do every day. A positive attitude can be infectious, and who doesn’t want to work with people who are happy?
Positive feedback encourages communication.
Interaction with your boss – when he/she is telling you what a great job you’re doing – fosters a good working relationship. Employees often avoid bosses and coworkers who constantly berate them. And who can blame them? You will engage with your boss more often if you know he/she is approachable.
Positive feedback improves work performance.
When you know you are well liked at the office, chances are you will work harder to please your boss. If you want to please your boss, you are more likely to take on new projects, participate during meetings and share ideas. Taking the initiative can help boost your career and your company’s bottom line.
A 2015 Gallup report, “State of the American Manager: Analytics and Advice for Leaders,” shows why it pays to be positive. U.S. managers who care little about their jobs and the companies where they work cost the U.S. an estimated $319 to $398 billion each year due to the effect they have on the workers they manage, according to the study. Gallup, which conducts research on employee engagement, says its research shows, “engagement is strongly connected to business outcomes that are essential to an organization’s financial success, including productivity, profitability and customer ratings.”
You want to be good at your job. Positive feedback helps ensure that you are. And that’s good for you and your company.
Diane Sofranec has more than 25 years experience in B2B media. She joined North Coast Media in 2013 as a digital content producer and is now managing editor of the company’s Pest Management Professional magazine. She loves to hear her boss tell her she’s doing a good job.
Photo credit: joeltelling via Foter.com / CC BY-SA
