Good performance is a moving target, not a final destination. Many well-intentioned leaders wait to praise their people until they do something exactly right, such as completing a project or accomplishing a goal. But unless the person is confident in the task area, the leader could be waiting forever. Exactly right behavior is made up of a series of approximately right behaviors. Praising someone’s progress lets them know they’re going in the right direction.

For example, suppose you want to teach a toddler to say, “Give me a glass of water, please.” If you waited until she said the whole sentence before giving her a drink, she could die of thirst. Instead you start by saying, “Water! Water!” Suddenly one day, she says, “Waller.” You jump around, hug and kiss her, and get Grandmother on the phone so the child can say, “Waller! Waller!” It isn’t water, but it’s close. You don’t want a twenty-one-year-old going into a restaurant asking for a glass of waller, so after a while you accept only the word water. Then you start on please.

The same process works with adults. We all can use encouragement on the long road to victory.

MAKING COMMON SENSE COMMON PRACTICE

It’s easy to praise progress if you follow these four steps:

1. Get out of your office and wander around. For remote employees, have frequent video meetings to keep in touch.

2. Pay attention to what people are working on and how they are progressing.

3. When you catch someone doing something right—or in the beginning, approximately right—praise them.

4. Continue to cheer them on toward the desired behavior.

Servant leaders help their people achieve goals by coaching, encouraging, and praising them along the way.