Nuclear Praise
If you’re feeling a bit down, here’s what you do:
If you’re feeling a bit down, here’s what you do:
1) Tell someone that they’re amazing.
2) Write their manager an email praising the snot out of them.
3) Copy your own manager.
It feels a fucking mazing. It’s better than a trip to the spa.
IMO this kind of behavior is mandatory for leaders, and it’s highly advisable for everyone else.
You’re giving that person a gift that looks good on everybody: Something they can print out when performance reviews come around, when we are all scraping around for evidence of how amazing we are.
It costs you nothing, but the benefit is… infinite. The entire universe is contained in these moments, like that bauble on the cat’s collar in Men in Black. If you are looking to win some good karma, this right here is a battlefield nuclear option.
You will gain allies this way, you’ll mend fences, and you’ll build bridges. A very smart highly-respected leader once said “these moments are what elevate a team from good to great.” And they’re right.
There’s a thousand reasons to write a praise email. So why don’t you write one now?