Most often, we hear praise that is directed at the outcome – ‘Great job’, ‘well done’ or ‘keep it up’.
But consider these alternatives: ‘I liked how you offered the customer a viable solution with the available resources’ or ‘I like how you preempted this problem and avoided a possible crisis.’
We are more in control of our approach towards a particular situation than its outcome. Offering banal praise on the outcome might be easier, but descriptive praise that is directed towards the approach is more meaningful.
Observations 