Not long ago, my mentor and friend, Warren Bennis, gave me a very generous unsolicited compliment. I hemmed and hawed and went on about how he didn’t need to say that and really it was nothing. Warren in his loving, but not suffering foolishness (or false modesty) manner, stopped me and said, “Mark, when you hear something like I just said, there is only a single two-word response: ‘Thank you.'”
What to Do When Praise Makes You Uncomfortable
Say “thank you.”
December 13, 2013
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New!
HBR Learning
Feedback Essentials Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Feedback Essentials. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Give feedback that your employees can hear and use.