Kit Barber argues leaders should praise specific behaviors instead of hunting mistakes. He suggests telling new hires on day one that the goal is to leave the organization better than when they arrived, then running a four-week experiment of consistent, specific praise to shift culture from fear-driven to intrinsically motivated.
Praise beats pressure. This works every time, but most leaders spend their day catching their team doing things wrong. That's pressure, and that builds a business that runs on fear. Something you can change this week: catch your people doing something right. Be specific, name the behavior, and importantly, the positive impact it had on the business. And for a Brucey bonus, on day 1 for any new hire, tell them you expect them to leave better than they actually arrived. It sets a culture of growth. Do it for 4 weeks and people will stop showing up for the paycheck. They're going to start showing up for the reward that they feel, and it will transform your business. Kit Barber.
