The praise paradox

We all crave recognition, yet we often hesitate to give it. The paradox? While authentic praise energizes and motivates, we don’t always see ourselves as the source — creating a cycle of unrecognized efforts. Employees who feel unseen are three times more likely to quit, while those who feel valued are more engaged, productive and committed.

By integrating micro-lessons from the award-winning "Picture Yourself a Leader," this workshop helps participants fine-tune their leader standard work around praising and recognizing others with the end goal of creating resilient problem-solving cultures.

This interactive session dives into the science of praise and its profound impact on performance, retention and workplace culture. Through engaging exercises and actionable strategies, you’ll learn how to make small but powerful shifts that drive motivation and innovation and strengthen working relationships.

Key learning objectives

1. Master the science of praise: Grasp the neuroscience behind how recognition affects engagement, retention, performance and problem-solving.
2. Overcome barriers to giving praise: Identify common roadblocks and learn how to break the cycle of unrecognized efforts.
3. Develop practical recognition strategies: Learn small, actionable ways to integrate praise into everyday interactions.
4. Boost influence  and leadership impact: Discover how authentic praise strengthens relationships and enhances leadership presence.
5. Create a culture of recognition: Equip teams with the tools to foster a more positive, motivated and productive problem-solving work environment.

Interactive components

1. Pair-share activities with other participants that illuminate typical cultural norms around giving credit, acknowledgment and praise in the workplace
2. Practice diagnosing the most frequent root causes of praise deficits
3. Hands-on activities to develop effective, meaningful praise strategies
4. Create habit-building action plans for integrating praise into daily interactions

Company

Swan Consulting and Associates, Inc. helps organizations unlock the full potential of their people through a unique blend of process improvement, conscious leadership and behavioral science. By using practical tools, adaptive thinking and human-centered leadership, the company helps clients boost engagement, strengthen leadership and drive measurable results across teams and industries. https://elisabethswan.com/

Presenter

Elisabeth Swan, president of Swan Consulting and Associates, Inc., is a leading authority on combining process improvement with conscious leadership to drive meaningful results. With decades of experience advising companies from Fortune 100s to nonprofits, she helps leaders unlock the full potential of their teams.

A former improv performer, Swan brings adaptive thinking and co-creation into leadership development. She blends behavioral science, real-world humor and hands-on tools to create lasting impact. She brings these principles to life as an educator (UC San Diego, UC Davis, University of Denver) and trusted advisor.

An in-demand speaker and the award-winning author of "Picture Yourself a Leader,", Swan is known for helping people see what’s possible — and how to get there.