Impressing the Boss; A Boss That Notices
When the workplace is about appreciation and recognition
A boss that doesn’t allow the mission to get in the way of communicating respect and admiration for the people that they are assigned to lead shows a specialness about themselves. By noticing what people are doing well and commenting about it to them and in a group or public setting, the person praising gets respected and valued too.
I recently read an article written by Jeff Kassouf about a topic that I don’t normally follow: Soccer. What inspired me to read it was the headline where a leader complimented a person she led as a “connector” which is a description I don’t hear often. What kept me reading was the next-level boss communication that continued.
See if you agree or not:
Emma Hayes is the coach of the United States women's national soccer team and she clearly knows the value of showing her players that she “sees” them and their value to the team and organization.
At first, Hayes communicated about one player and I was going to write specifically about what was said but then I noticed Hayes praise another person and another one. It was a pattern. That had to be discussed.
"I couldn't ask for any more," Hayes said of Mallory Swanson's performance. "She's a player I've always admired, so to get the opportunity to coach and see firsthand the quality she possesses -- she's a connector. She's really magnetic, as a human being too, in the way she operates in the team.
"She can multitask: She can do what she's doing on the pitch, and she can listen on the sidelines.”
Wow. Hayes says that a person whom she has authority over is doing everything that is expected and more. Hayes expresses that she admires this person who works for her, mentions that the person is a strong leader and producer with a dynamic personality.
It was then Catarina Macario’s turn to be noticed and publicly praised.
"Cat is a special player, no question whatsoever," Hayes said. "She'll keep growing into the shirt, I'm sure. She's been tremendous all week in training."
Calling an “employee” special and saying it with such definitiveness is going to land deeply with that person. Showing you believe in their future potential and celebrating their effort and commitment is also going to show that person and those around them what matters to the leader and other members of the team.
The final person in the conversation with the boss — Hayes — to be complimented was Lindsey Horan.
"Lindsey, she's the captain for a reason," Hayes said. "She's a leader. She leads by example in so many ways.”
The boss here makes sure the media, public and her team know that this person — Horan — is deserving of her title, why that is and how impressive she does her work.
What might surprise people is that when bosses communicate in this fashion and it is done regularly it stands out. When the rest of the leadership is operating at an equally high, impressive level, trust is likely to increase and a positive, vibrant reputation is built or further enhanced.
Thank you for reading the Reputation Intelligence newsletter…
Michael Toebe is a reputation consultant, advisor and communications specialist at Reputation Intelligence: Reputation Quality, assisting individuals and organizations with further building reputation as an asset or ethically and responsibly protecting, restoring or reconstructing it.
Follow Reputation Intelligence on Twitter/ “X”
Follow Reputation Intelligence on the Medium platform for more stories/insights
Professional Opinion, Consulting (about a particular situation),
Ongoing Advisory, Public Speaking and Communications.