US bosses find they have to lavish praise to motivate younger workers, who grew up expecting them. Are employers in S'pore seeing a similar trend?
GOOD effort. Great job. Glorious work.
Come on, admit it, you love to hear these words from your boss.
They make you feel good, they soothe your ego, they make your day.
Even better if you could hear these compliments at work every day, right?
Constant praise and ego-stroking - these are what young Americans yearn for in the workplace, says a recent Wall Street Journal report.
Due largely to the coddling Gen X-ers and Gen Y-ers got from their parents and teachers in their growing-up years, employers in the US are 'feeling the need to lavish praise on young adults'.
From throwing confetti to passing out balloons to handing out expensive gifts, American bosses are digging deep to please their workers, hoping that the praise culture will keep them in the company.
What of young Singapore workers? Do you constantly yearn for compliments? Do you fall apart in the face of criticism?
Associate Professor Chan Teng Heng from Nanyang Technological University's Nanyang Business School feels that many young workers are part of the generation who grew up with the Internet.
'This group grew up under more focused care by their parents, who are from the baby-boomer generation with larger families,' he told The New Paper.
'They're lavished with praise by their parents. In their 20s now, they need constant egging on with constant praise and ego-stroking - not an easy thing to do if the boss is not one who lavishes praise.'
These characteristics are found in interns who are sent to companies, ProfChan said.
'They're easily discouraged and need to learn about the real world, where the environment is sometimes harsher than they think. Sometimes, they can't take it and break down.'
Yet, Prof Chan added, they are likely to tackle challenges better than the previous or older generation.
But do they need a string of praises?
Events coordinator ALChan, 29, said getting bouquets from her boss motivates her.
'It's an ego trip for me. I see nothing wrong with it if my boss gets a more motivated employee in return.'
Mr David Ang, the executive director of the Singapore Human Resources Institute, said bosses need to understand the younger generation.
'You can't reprimand a GenY-er the same way you would a person from another generation. You have to adapt your praise or criticism according to the generation,' he explained.
WEAKNESS
'In the past, we used to say, 'Work on the person's weakness and find out what he lacks.' Today, we work on the strengths and exploit them.
'You can't be too negative with the younger generation. You tell them, 'You did well. But you can do better.'
And it's not true that only the young needs affirmation.
Mr Paul Heng, the founder of Next Career Consulting Group Asia, said: 'Even successful people need the occasional 'stroking'. Some of us need it more, some less. But most, if not all human beings, need it.'
Prof Chan agreed.
'Even older workers appreciate kudos once in a while. But the older generation, being brought up in a more Asian environment, will tend to deprecate themselves,' he said.
'The younger generation take the praise more heartily and they don't have the Confucian attitude of self-deprecation. They're more likely to say 'thank you' to praises, while the older worker may say, 'Oh, it's nothing.'
Human resource experts say the praise culture is generally not practised in the Asian workplace.
Mr Heng pointed out: 'In some cultures like the US, they tend to (go overboard with their praise), like 'Wow, that's wonderful, superb, outstanding' for anything and everything.'
But don't expect your Asian boss to praise you to the skies.
Mr Heng said: 'Perhaps our managers need to do much more. A smile, a pat on the back, a simple 'thank you' can do wonders.'
But how much praise is too much? Wouldn't too much praise wear thin after a while?
Moderation is the key, experts say. There's a fine line between confidence and arrogance.
Mr Heng said: 'For someone who needs praises to boost his confidence level, his boss should consciously give a little more than what they give others.
'But stroking the ego too much can also become a negative thing.'
Prof Chan added: 'The culture of praise should be balanced by admonishment, or it may lead to a halo effect that one cannot do wrong.'
Give recognition when it's due, and constructive criticism when it's deserved.
That's good enough - for any generation.
source:
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/st...44458,00.html? 
Pump up the praise if you want them to work 
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