Tape 1: The Importance of Praise

At the top of the list of why people think of leaving their jobs is the fact that they feel they aren’t appreciated enough. This new program makes the point that giving praise where it’s due is a management tool that’s powerful, cheap and easy to use. It can bring amazing results in terms of increasing the quality and quantity of the output of the people who work for them, providing it is correctly applied.

A department with a high staff turnover is in danger of losing another member: the individual displayed initiative and commitment in helping a customer, yet their manager could only criticize the unauthorized expense of a taxi fare.

The employee’s attitude changes with renewed enthusiasm when the manager shows interest and appreciation in a job well done. Among the rules learnt are that it’s important to let people know why they are being praised, make sure that the effect isn’t ruined by a sting-in-the-tail remark, and to pass on praise from customers or superiors.

Features and Applications:

• Addresses the reasons why managers don’t praise. Shows the value of adding praise to the corporate culture.
• Makes managers aware that it’s important to seek opportunities to praise staff.
• Provides six easily-remembered rules for praising staff correctly.
• Proves that praising is not a natural gift but a learnable skill.

Tape 2: The Need for Constructive Criticism

Nobody enjoys being criticized, which is why few managers relish the prospect of criticizing their staff—yet is has to be done. Everyone makes mistakes, but no one can be allowed to go on making the same mistake. And yet, people shouldn’t have to wait until an appraisal to discover they have done something wrong.

The video is set in the offices of a district council, where an oversight in preparing for a meeting leads to the rejection of a sensitive planning application. The planning officer concerned shrinks from confronting an otherwise efficient assistant until a stern memo from the chief executive forces a rethink.

But rather than establishing what had happened and taking action to put it right, the officer makes a series of clumsy attempts to discipline the assistant—including a telling off in front of junior colleagues, failing to agree what had gone wrong and criticizing them personally rather than what they had done. Learning how to handle the situation correctly means understanding how the problem arose, and the assistant is able to suggest a means of avoiding such mistakes in the future.

Features and Applications:

• Helps managers understand that criticism is an essential part of a manager’s responsibilities.
• Shows why people should only be criticized for what they’ve done, not what they are.
• Emphasizes how criticism done badly can make things worse.
• Lays down seven rules for ensuring that criticism is conducted effectively and without acrimony.