Praise in public, scold in 1-on-1

Tadashi Shigeoka ·  Thu, November 15, 2018

『The Manager’s Path』 mentions something like “praise in public, scold in 1-on-1,” so I’d like to introduce it.

エンジニアのためのマネジメントキャリアパス ―テックリードからCTOまでマネジメントスキル向上ガイド | The Managers Path

Ideally, subordinates should receive praise preferably in public, and scolding preferably in 1-on-1 situations. Even if your boss grabs your sleeve immediately after a meeting ends and drags you to a corner to give you "essential feedback," it doesn't necessarily mean your behavior was unbearable. "Capable bosses" understand that feedback is more effective when given immediately on the spot, rather than hesitating and timing it. On the other hand, "praising in public" is considered a best practice for bosses. As a boss, you can inform everyone of a team member's achievements while also showing an example to follow. However, if you're someone who would rather not be praised in public, tell your boss in advance. It would be helpful if your boss asked in advance, "Let me know if you don't like being praised in public," but even if your boss doesn't ask, it's not good for you to suffer alone.

Quoted from 『The Manager’s Path』 P.5

  • Praising in public is better
  • Scolding in 1-on-1 is better

Sometimes there are people who “would rather not be praised in public”, so caution is needed. I’ve actually encountered such cases while doing engineering management.

That’s all from the Gemba where I want to keep in mind the point of praising in public and scolding in 1-on-1.