How to Praise the Slightest Improvement and Praise Every Improvement

The Power of Recognizing Progress

Abilities wither under criticism; they blossom under encouragement.

When you praise the slightest improvement—and praise every improvement—you create a positive feedback loop. The person feels good about their progress, which motivates more effort, which creates more progress, which earns more praise.

This is how remarkable growth happens.

Why Small Wins Matter

B.F. Skinner's research demonstrated that rewarding small steps of progress is more effective than waiting to reward only the final achievement. This principle—called "shaping"—works just as powerfully with humans as with animals.

When you wait until someone achieves perfection before acknowledging them, you may never get to give praise at all. Recognize the journey, not just the destination.

Practical Techniques

Technique 1: Notice What Others Miss

Train yourself to see improvements that others overlook:

• The slightly better organization in a report
• The marginally smoother presentation delivery
• The small increase in punctuality
• The subtle improvement in attitude

These small changes, when recognized, compound into major transformations.

Technique 2: Be Immediate

Praise as close to the behavior as possible:

Delayed: "By the way, last week's presentation was better." Immediate: "That explanation you just gave was much clearer than before—well done."

Immediate praise connects the good feeling to the specific behavior, reinforcing it more effectively.

Technique 3: Be Specific

Vague praise is forgettable. Specific praise is powerful:

Vague: "Good job." Specific: "The way you handled that objection—staying calm and asking clarifying questions instead of defending—that was a real improvement."

Specificity proves you were actually paying attention.

Technique 4: Compare to Their Past, Not to Others

Progress is personal:

Unhelpful: "You're almost as good as Sarah now." Helpful: "Compared to where you were three months ago, this is remarkable progress."

Comparison to others creates competition. Comparison to their past self creates motivation.

Technique 5: Praise the Effort, Not Just Results

Sometimes results lag behind effort. Recognize the work itself:

"I can see how much effort you put into this. That dedication will pay off."

"The hours you've invested in practicing are showing. Keep going."

This maintains motivation even when outcomes are still developing.

The Animal Trainer Principle

Animal trainers accomplish remarkable things by breaking complex behaviors into small steps and rewarding each one. A dog doesn't learn a complicated trick all at once—it learns piece by piece, with treats at each stage.

We humans respond to the same approach. Break the goal into steps. Praise each step. Watch progress accelerate.

Practice Exercise: The Improvement Tracker

For one week, with someone you're trying to develop:

1. Write down three things they're trying to improve
2. Notice daily any progress, however small
3. Praise immediately when you notice progress
4. Record what you praised and their response
5. Track changes in their confidence and effort

At the end of the week, you'll see the compound effect of consistent positive reinforcement.

The Quantity Question

How much praise is too much? Consider:

• Praise should always be sincere, never forced
• Quality matters more than quantity
• Different people have different praise needs
• Consistency matters more than volume
• When in doubt, err on the side of more praise

Most people dramatically underestimate how much recognition others need and overestimate how much they give.

Praising Across Roles

As a manager: Create regular one-on-ones where you specifically highlight recent improvements

As a parent: Catch your children being good. Look for progress, not just perfection

As a colleague: Notice when peers improve and tell them. It costs you nothing and means everything

As a friend: Celebrate their growth journeys. Be their cheerleader

As a partner: Acknowledge efforts to improve, even when there's still work to do

The Praise Sandwich Revisited

Rather than the formulaic "praise-criticism-praise" sandwich, try:

Praise → Praise → Development area → Confidence in future praise-worthy performance

"Your analysis was thorough—that's a real strength. And your presentation skills have improved noticeably. One area to keep developing is time management. I'm confident that as you work on it, I'll be praising that soon too."

Written Praise

Don't underestimate written recognition:

• A sincere thank-you note
• An email acknowledging specific improvement
• A handwritten card for significant progress
• Public recognition in a newsletter or meeting

Written praise can be saved, reread, and remembered far longer than spoken words.

Building a Praise Culture

When leaders consistently praise improvement:

• People feel safe trying new things
• Mistakes become learning opportunities rather than disasters
• Growth becomes expected, not exceptional
• The whole team raises its performance

Your praise habits shape the environment around you.

Combining with Other Principles

Praise works powerfully with:

• Honest appreciation: Praise is appreciation in action
• Making people feel important: Recognition validates worth
• Giving a reputation to live up to: Praise shapes identity

When you praise every improvement, you give people a fine reputation to live up to—the subject of the next principle.

Principle 6: Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be "hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise."