Interactive graph
Notice the Good
Table of Contents
Notice the good = I say out loud the specific thing someone did that I want to see again - not “good job,” but “you paused before you answered that email” or “you kept your voice down when you were mad.” Praise works when it points at behavior.
Examples
- Sports: After practice I told the kid who boxed out every drill: “Your rebounds won that scrimmage - keep sealing like that.” He knew exactly what to repeat.
- Non-technical work: I emailed the intern: “You caught the duplicate invoice before I did - that saved us a call.” Specific beats a generic thanks slide.
- Home with children: My kid cleared the table without being asked - “you saw the mess and handled it; that helps the whole night.” Not “you're so good.”
- Real world: I told my spouse: “You texted you'd be late before I had to ask - that took stress off dinner.” One action named, easy to repeat.
Note Relationships
| Relationship | Wikilink | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| contradicts | Outcomes Over Pitch Decks | when only results get praised and the steady process gets ignored |
| extends | Continuous Improvement | Naming what worked feeds the next rep |
| extends | Process Over Outcomes | I reinforce the behavior in the loop, not only the score |
| extends | The Golden Rule | Specific praise is how I'd want to be treated |
| implements | Follow Their Lead | Sometimes the best lead to follow is the good thing they already did |
| implements | Follow Their Lead | Sometimes the best lead to follow is the good thing they already did |
