Let’s be honest, receiving a compliment is always nice. You might think giving compliments is too, but that is not always the case. You want to avoid coming across as a suck-up, especially at work. Here are some tips to help you give compliments the right way.

Giving a compliment is not always easy. You do not want to compliment your boss and be seen as the favourite. You do not want to tell your colleague they did something great because they might think you want to take over their project. And complimenting your employees might make you seem like a forced “cool boss”.

So how do you give a compliment the right way…

To your manager?

There is nothing wrong with giving a compliment. In fact, making up a compliment you do not mean is much worse. Saying you found their notes useful without reading them can backfire. Instead, give a compliment when your manager teaches you something.

The trick is to be very specific. If they helped you with a difficult email, you can say: “Thanks for your advice. That sentence about how an extra week can help us move forward builds confidence and shows we are still on track.” Linking a compliment to something you learned makes it more genuine.

To your colleague?

You want to avoid two things when complimenting colleagues: seeming like you want to be liked by everyone or sounding authoritative. Compliments can sometimes feel like evaluations.

Be specific. Compliment your colleague on their expertise. For example: “Five clients have already called about our new website. They think it is great.” This sounds more sincere than saying “good job”.

To your employee?

Employees want valuable feedback. Show that you notice changes. If someone who is usually late suddenly arrives on time, mention it.

They want to know when they are doing well and exceeding expectations. Be specific and give examples.

To your network contact?

You likely have people in your network you admire. Too many compliments can come across as idolisation.

Add value to your compliment. Do not just say “great LinkedIn post”, but explain why or add something meaningful.

March 1st is Compliment Day. Giving compliments is positive! But avoid overdoing it to prevent sounding insincere. Use these tips to give constructive and genuine compliments.