Should we praise publicly?

Should we praise publicly?

The oft said phrase, “Praise publicly and criticize privately,” tells us we should.

Optimize team management in minutes with ManageBetter. Start your free trial now and join Uber and Microsoft in boosting performance, gathering insights, and generating reviews—all AI-powered, no writing required.

However, science disagrees.

Published by the University of Chicago, Chan and Sengupta’s paper argues that we should think twice about doing so.

Here’s why:

• We typically think of praise as a two-party transaction: the praiser and the recipient.

• However, public praise involves a third-party: the observer. In the workplace, it’d be the recipient’s colleagues.

• A colleague who observes the praise will get jealous. Chan and Sengupta’s scientific data show that a person observing public praise (for someone else) increases their envy by 15% vs. the control.

• It also increases resentment between the observer and the praiser. The resentment goes up by 23% vs. the control.

So think twice before praising someone in public. The recipient might feel good, but the onlookers will not.

Sharpen Your Leadership Edge: Join 3,000+ executives receiving weekly, actionable insights from industry experts. Subscribe free to The Thoughtful Leader and elevate your team's performance.