40 Examples of How to Praise Someone Professionally

Updated 13 January 2023

Most people like to receive praise for their efforts, achievements and skills. Offering compliments in a professional environment can be a great way to promote a culture which values effort, skill and individual achievements. Understanding how to give praise may help you support your colleagues and encourage them to keep improving. In this article, we give examples of how to praise someone professionally in different circumstances and provide tips to help you give compliments in a genuine and appropriate way.

40 examples of how to praise someone professionally

Understanding how to praise someone professionally can help you contribute to a positive and supportive workplace. While praising your friends and family may seem simple, giving compliments in the workplace can involve greater tact and skill. Achieving a positive response may require you to consider factors such as who the recipient is and what they've achieved to earn your praise. Here are examples of how you may compliment a colleague in various scenarios:

Complimenting strong leadership

Even for individuals with natural leadership qualities, consistently strong management requires practise and skill. Praising someone when they exhibit these qualities can show your appreciation for their skills and may help them recognise their own strengths. By identifying why their leadership is effective, you may encourage them to seek these kinds of roles. Here's how you might praise someone for their leadership:

'This project ran really smoothly thanks to your leadership'.
'Your ongoing support has helped me gain so much confidence'.
'Your ability to generate team discussions is inspiring'.
'Thank you for making everyone on our team feel welcome and valued'.
'I understand the steps required to complete the project thanks to your great communication'.

Complimenting enthusiasm

Employees who bring an enthusiastic attitude to their work often help energise those around them. By praising their enthusiasm, you may make them aware of the positive effect they're having on their team members. It may also show them you value and admire this quality. Here's how you could praise someone's enthusiastic attitude:

'I'm really inspired by your curiosity and desire to learn'.
'Your positive attitude makes this difficult project so much more manageable'.
'Thanks for always lifting the mood with your smile and laughter'.
'I'd like to seek goals with the same enthusiasm and excitement as you'.
'Your endless enthusiasm has helped us overcome many setbacks'.

Recognising good teamwork

Great teamwork can be just as important as strong leadership. If you notice a team member who supports others' ideas while contributing their own, you might praise their ability to collaborate. Doing this can help create a workplace culture that values different ideas. Here's how you may give compliments for good teamwork:

'Your flexibility has helped this project succeed'.
'Thanks for listening to everyone's ideas, no matter how different'.
'I really enjoy collaborating with you'.
'Thank you for always bringing innovative ideas to our meetings'.
'Your reliability has helped us create a strong and cohesive team'.

Recognising a job well done

Recognising the achievements of your team members can create a culture that celebrates individual effort. If someone has completed a job to a high standard or achieved something inspiring, you might show your appreciation by offering praise. For your compliment to be meaningful, it can help to be specific about what they've done well, whether they've created an innovative product design or managed a project efficiently. Here's how you might compliment a job well done:

'Thanks for giving an interesting presentation today. It offered exciting ideas'.
'You handled that conflict really well'.
'I can see you've put lots of effort and time into that design. Well done'.
'You've managed your busy schedule really well lately'.
'I know you were anxious about managing that project, but the result was great'.

Recognising effort

Regardless of the outcome, it can be good practice to praise colleagues for the time and energy they put into tasks. While you and your team members may not perfectly complete every project or goal, recognising and praising effort can create a positive working environment. It can be especially important in situations where a colleague has attempted something new and unfamiliar. Here's how you might give compliments for effort:

'I'm really impressed by your bravery in giving that speech. I know you don't like public speaking'.
'That was a really difficult project, and I'm sure you learnt a lot throughout the process'.
'I can see the energy and time you put into that task. Well done'.
'Your determination to find a solution was really impressive'.
'I'm inspired by the amount of effort you put into everything you do'.

Praising skills

Praising your colleagues' skills can be a great way to increase their confidence and encourage them to keep improving. You might praise them for their proficiency with technical or interpersonal skills, like empathy. By engaging with a team member about a specific skill, you may also learn tips on how to develop it yourself and implement it in your professional life. Here's how you might compliment skills:

'You give really engaging presentations'.
'Your ability to think creatively encourages me to develop my own ideas'.
'I'd like to handle stress as easily as you do. You possess an amazing ability to put things into perspective'.
'Your listening skills make you a great team member'.
'I'm inspired by your patience when you experience setbacks. It means you find really effective solutions'.

Congratulating team leaders

Managers and team leaders may also benefit from encouragement. Giving praise can encourage them to continue positive leadership behaviours. Compliments can be especially important for new team leaders, who may lack confidence in their leadership role. Here's how you could congratulate them:

'It's great that you give us opportunities to provide feedback. It makes me feel valued'.
'Thank you for empathising with my situation'.
'Your ability to energise and motivate our team is truly inspiring'.
'I know you're busy, so thanks for guiding me throughout this project'.
'Your enthusiastic leadership has helped create a great workplace atmosphere'.

Praising a new team member

Starting a new job often involves learning new processes and skills and becoming familiar with a different environment and workplace culture. Offering team members praise can help them gain confidence and feel more comfortable in their role. It can be helpful to emphasise the positive contribution they're already making to the team, whether it's through a specific skill or a positive trait. Here's how you might compliment a new colleague:

'Your computer skills are really valuable'.
'It's great to have someone with fresh ideas and perspectives'.
'I'm excited to work with someone who's so knowledgeable'.
'Your creative input is really helping our team collaborate'.
'Your positive and enthusiastic attitude is just what our team needed'.

Tips for praising colleagues

Here are tips you may use when complimenting your colleagues and team leaders:

Consider the recipient. Before you give praise, you might consider who it is you're complimenting, whether it's your manager, colleague or new team member. For instance, changing your tone or selecting a different vocabulary may help your compliment have the greatest possible impact on the recipient.
Be genuine. Try to give compliments only when you sincerely believe the recipient deserves them. This may help your colleagues develop trust and respond positively to future praise.
Give realistic praise. When you give praise, try to ensure your compliment reflects the actual extent of the recipient's achievement. This may help your colleagues celebrate their achievements while recognising opportunities to keep learning and honing their skills.
Be specific. Tailoring your praise to each individual can give your compliment greater power. You might tell your colleague exactly what they did to impress you and earn your praise, whether they excelled in a task or demonstrated a specific skill.
Focus on individuals. It can often be more effective to give praise to individuals or small teams. This can make it easier for team members to see what they've done well and what they can congratulate themselves on.
Show your appreciation in other ways. If you're in a management position, you might combine verbal or written praise with a variety of other incentives, such as gift cards or extra time off. This can be an effective way to reinforce praise and show teams that you value their effort and skill.
Combine praise with action. Another way to reinforce your appreciation of someone's efforts or achievements may be to follow your praise with action. For instance, if you're in a leadership position and commend a team member's organisational skills, you might offer them the opportunity to assist with the management of your next project.

40 Examples of How to Praise Someone Professionally