Individuals tend to retain those behaviors for which they receive positive reinforcement. It would seem that receiving praise satisfies one of mankind's most important needs. As individuals reach fulfillment at one level, they move on to the next, until all levels have been achieved or satisfied. By examining the potential reasons for the lack of praise, supervisors can learn where their shortcomings may lie and how they can become more praise-conscious. Any discussion of the reasons behind the failure to give praise must begin with an acknowledgement that this affliction does not affect all supervisors.
Some supervisors make a conscious effort to extend praise whenever it is warranted.
Unfortunately, these individuals are the exception and not the norm. There also are some supervisors who have praised in the past but now have stopped, even though the quality of employee performance has not deteriorated. And those who do not receive praise may have difficulty extending it to others. For the most part, however, a majority of supervisors never have made praise a part of their workday behavior. Some supervisors do not praise employees because of the paperwork involved.