Bob,
> I am still unclear about how to use 'praise' in a
> specific manner such that it is not destructive to
> the learning process.
I prefer appreciation to praise.
Praise, like all feedback, is mostly about the giver. But praise is
phrased as if it is about the receiver: "you did a good job." I think
that makes praise confusing. Also, implicit in praise is the idea that
the giver's evaluation is somehow authoritative.
When I give appreciation, on the other hand, I make it clear that I am
talking about my own response to the receiver: "I appreciated the help you
gave me." I can speak with authority about my response to the person I'm
appreciating.
Dale
-- Dale H. Emery -- Collaborative Consultant High Performance for Software Development Projects E-mail: dale@dhemery.com Web: http://www.dhemery.comLearning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>