by Judith E. Pearson, Ph.D. and Harry S Truman, C.F.P.
Your supervisor says, "Congratulations on landing the Smith contract! Your creativity at the sales meeting was superb!"
Ah, praise! The kudos! The acclaim! The applause! Rewards that result from your good work! How do you respond to praise? Do you bask graciously in the limelight? Or do you mumble and fumble for words? Do you treasure the moment of glory? Or do you shrink in embarrassment?
Praise serves a number of purposes.
- It draws people together through an exchange of appreciation.
- It can motivate people to greater achievement.
- It tells people that they have performed well and/or improved over previous performance.
- It observes examples of excellence that others may choose to follow.
When people have trouble accepting praise, it is usually evident. Some feel awkward and undeserving while they mumble some meaningless reply and quickly vacate the scene. Some resort to a self-deprecating attitude, saying things such as "It was nothing, really." Some get pompous and use praise as a springboard for bragging about their other achievements. None of these is an appropriate way to respond to praise. How you accept praise has to do with your self-esteem, the way you validate your efforts, and knowing what to say in return.
Your Self-Esteem
Self-esteem has everything to do with how you feel about praise. Low self-esteem is characterized by an intense desire to be liked, coupled with feel...
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