Thanking is important because it expresses gratitude and appreciation, fostering positive relationships and communication. It acknowledges the efforts and kindness of others, validating their actions and encouraging more positive interactions. Expressing thanks can improve social bonds, enhance well-being, and create an atmosphere of mutual respect and acknowledgment. It’s a fundamental aspect of etiquette and interpersonal relations that reinforces positivity and connection between people.
Understand How to thank someone for a compliment or praise.
A compliment is one of the most important ways of expressing someone that you value and appreciate. It doesn’t matter whether you are a team leader or an individual employee in an organization; giving and receiving compliments plays an important role in creating and maintaining relationships at your workplace.
Although giving and receiving compliments are positive interactions, they can be tricky, and they are not the way they are supposed to be. Research shows that many people experience anxiety while giving and receiving compliments/praises.
The first and foremost feeling people get from being recognized is the feeling of happiness and being valued (88%), about 70% of people experience embarrassment or discomfort from giving and receiving compliments for their actions/the process of their work.
A few methods of giving and receiving a compliment/a praise can remove these obstacles and make the experience of both giving and receiving more comfortable and creating trust. To improve our skills in providing compliments, we must first master our receiving compliments because receiving is also important to give something to someone.
How to accept a compliment | How to thank someone for a compliment/praise?
When your boss or co-worker compliments you at a point in time in which you would have least expected, or if they might have noticed something or your work result outstanding for which they would have praised you.
Your mind might ponder over it as it might be awkward for you to think immediately about how to respond to the concerned person who gave the compliment. How we respond to the compliments/praises given by others is not complicated, it is very simple.
Rather, our reactions to the compliments/praises might not be so easy. Many people don’t realize that compliments/praises are more about the compliments’ giver, not about the receiver of the compliments.
When a person is giving you a praise/compliment, they share how your actions/words/work/gestures impacted them. It is nothing about you. It does not make a difference about whether you agree/disagrees with their words.
Normally accept their words of a compliment as a gift and don’t think much about anything else apart from a compliment/praise. The best way to revert to the good and kind words of a boss/co-worker is to say ‘Thank you. If the person’s compliment/praise made a difference, let the concerned person know about it. As a kind gesture, you can say,
- ‘Thank you a lot for your compliment. It made my day at work. Thinking about your compliment in my mind, I performed well at work and made good interaction with the people at work and with other people.’
- ‘I worked hard on this task, so I performed well, thank you for noticing it.
- ‘Thank you, and I felt really happy that you took out time from your busy schedule and appreciated my work. Your compliment made my day, and I was able to perform other works with great ease and a feeling of joy in my mind.’
- ‘Thank you, and I felt really happy to know that you noticed the results of my work, in which I have put a lot of effort in.’
- ‘Thank you; I am very much delighted to know that you feel this way.
The above sentences are just a few ways to inform the person that you appreciated their compliments/praises, and you want to thank them for their compliments/praises.
The following are a few sentences to express thanks to the concerned person that the work for which he/she complimented you was the work done by someone else:
‘It was good to know that you feel like this. The results were of the hard work done by Aisa. If you might have some more time, then it would make her day on hearing the compliment/praise for her work.’
If a person complimented you or praised you for a work performance, which resulted from the work of your team as a whole, then first take the compliment, and then redirect the compliments for the whole team, .i.e. for all the team members as a whole.
If you might be the team leader, the person might be recognizing you as responsible for the whole team’s success. So, he/she might have complimented you/ praised you. First, you must thank the concerned person who gave the compliment and then praise your whole team through the person who gave you the compliments. That is the spirit of a true leader at a workplace.
‘Thank you very much for noticing our team’s performance. All of our team members have put in great efforts and hard work to make this work full, and we delivered our best performance as a team. I will convey your feedback to my team the next time we will meet.
It is a fact that our responses to compliments/praises have been developed as a habit throughout our lifetime, from our experiences in various situations and circumstances.
And it will need effort and practice to change our habits. So, from the next time onwards, try to observe how you and other people respond to compliments/praises given by people.
Also, try to put into practice some of the responses mentioned above. Then, after a few days, you will be able to know that it is not that difficult to say a ‘Thank you to the concerned person who complimented you/ praised you.
In some situations, some people may divert the person’s praise or compliment by making a joke, or awkwardly trying to explain why they don’t deserve it, etc. Then, in such situations, he/she can recover the awkward situation by telling like this,
‘I am trying to improve myself in accepting a compliment, thank you.
How do you Gracefully Accept the Compliment?
First of all, thank the person giving the compliment. You can tell thank you in whichever language you feel comfortable speaking.
Your voice’s tone should depict your happiness, gratitude, or embarrassment if you are caught off guard. Try to avoid dismissing the compliment.
Your most important role is to accept the compliment, not reject it. That is, don’t evade by shifting the praise to any other person (unless you got a compliment for someone else’s work rather than your work, or if you got a compliment for the team effort).
And another important gesture is your body language while thanking someone. While thanking someone, look at the person in their eyes and smile.
Steps to Gracefully Accept a Compliment
Here are 8 steps to gracefully accept a compliment:
- Listen Fully: Pay attention to what the person is saying without interrupting or downplaying their words.
- Smile Genuinely: Show your appreciation through a warm smile that conveys your gratitude.
- Say Thank You: Respond with a simple “Thank you” to acknowledge the compliment.
- Acknowledge the Effort: Recognize the thoughtfulness behind the compliment, such as “I’m glad you noticed.”
- Share the Credit: If it’s a team effort, share the praise with others involved, like “I couldn’t have done it without my team.”
- Avoid Self-Deprecation: Steer clear of diminishing the compliment with self-criticism or denial.
- Keep it Short and Sweet: A concise and genuine response maintains the grace of the interaction.
- Return the Kindness: If appropriate, compliment the person in return, but ensure it’s sincere and not just reciprocated for the sake of it.
How to give a powerful compliment?
To accept compliments, you should be able to know better how to give a compliment or praise other people. You should master the skill of providing compliments on others’ accomplishments or good work and recognizing others.
This is very important. Whether you might give compliments as a boss/leader or as a co-worker, it should be authentic and specific and should positively impact the concerned person being complimented.
He/she should feel good about receiving the compliment/praise. And, this skill of giving powerful compliments should have a good and memorable impact on fellow people. According to Harvard Compliment article there are 4 steps to give compliment :
- Be Authentic
- Be Specific
- Focus on the process not on the result
- Share the impact
Be Authentic
The main part of giving a compliment is that you should be authentic from within yourself. Your intention should be original as well. Then only people will appreciate you if you show genuine compliments/praises. They will have trust in you. And, trust-building is important for maintaining good relationships. If you are inauthentic while giving compliments/credits, people will also consider you as fake in other work areas.
So, it would be best if you were careful about that. Don’t compliment a person if you think you should give praise to him/her. Rather, compliment them authentically and from your heart. You should have the urge to let them know what good work they did or how it impacted you or others.
Be Specific
When you give someone any compliment or praise them, it shouldn’t leave behind any questions in their mind. So, be specific and clear about what message you want to convey to them to understand the exact reason behind your compliment.
Don’t give compliments such as the following:
‘That was marvelous.’ (What was marvelous?)
‘Thank you for taking notes of the discussions in the meeting.’ (It is my work, then why are you complimenting me?)
Thus, while giving compliments, it is important to share the details, examples, and specific reason (/s) for which you praised them so that they will have a clear idea of the exact basis of the compliments.
Unclear compliment: ‘Thank you for taking notes of the discussions in the meeting. You are marvelous’!
Particular compliment: ‘Sam, I know it is your work to take notes of the meeting’s discussions. But, as you perform your task of taking notes in the meeting so well, I can relax and concentrate on my work, and your task of taking notes helps me a lot in carrying out the further process of works which are my duty. You are marvelous! Thank you very much!’
Focus on the process, not just the result
In a study, it was found out that people rarely appreciate being complimented for the work; rather, they want to be praised for the process and efforts that went through in producing the desired results.
Such compliments which focus only on the product may not motivate the employees to put efforts into continuing to give the same desired level of development in the future. So, while complimenting anyone, praise their efforts, time, and sacrifice they put in the work to produce the desired results.
‘Harry, you did awesome work. I appreciate the efforts, time, sacrifice, and creativity which you put into the whole process of doing the work. It also produced an excellent result. I am amazed by the whole process of your hard work.’
Share the impact
Always keep in mind that a compliment/praise is more about the giver than about the receiver. When we compliment a person or praise him/her, we are conveying to them how their work impacted us.
If you want to give a powerful compliment, then give all the details and explain how and what impact it had on you and your team in your professional life or others’ personal lives.
Steps to Give Powerful Compliments
Here are 8 steps to give a powerful compliment:
- Be Sincere: Ensure your compliment comes from a place of genuine appreciation and honesty.
- Be Specific: Clearly articulate what you are complimenting about, highlighting the particular qualities or actions you admire.
- Focus on the Effort: Acknowledge the effort, skill, or dedication behind the achievement or quality you are complimenting.
- Make it Personal: Tailor your compliment to the individual, showing that you recognize and appreciate their unique contributions.
- Use Positive Language: Frame your compliment in a positive tone that conveys enthusiasm and positivity.
- Be Timely: Give the compliment close to the event or achievement you are praising to show attentiveness and relevance.
- Avoid Over-Praising: Keep the compliment balanced to avoid appearing insincere or excessive.
- Consider the Context: Ensure the setting is appropriate for the compliment, respecting the person’s comfort and the social situation.
Conclusion
Learning how to respond to others’ compliments can help you keep the conversation going and build a good relationship with the other person. If a person compliments you, then, first of all, accept it with a heartfelt thank you.’
Convey them that their opinion means a lot to you. As some people’s compliments motivate us a lot to do more such good work in the future, and it can have a great impact on us, which the giver may not be able to know.
Also, if your work results involved other people’s co-operation, then acknowledge others’ efforts to the person who gave the compliment/praise. If someone gives you a very nice compliment for your hard work and it can greatly impact the size and mention the people who supported and fed you throughout your work and in achieving your goals and dreams.
Suppose a person gives you a compliment, then, no matter how it may feel but accept the compliment with a good gesture of gratitude, grace, and happiness. If you get a compliment, you might also feel an urge to give a compliment back to the person who has praised you.
And, it is also important to provide a return compliment to the other person. In this way, they will also feel valued as they have made you feel valued. Because every person in this world wants to feel loved, cared for, and appreciated, and, in that situation of receiving a compliment, don’t immediately go and give back a return compliment.
Rather, please wait for the right opportunity to praise them and thus complement them. The purpose of this is the other person should not feel as though you are returning their compliment with a compliment.
They should feel as if you are genuinely complimenting them. That is very important in making others feel good. And, this is also a very good way of thanking someone for their compliment or praise. If a person gave you compliments through the mail, then send them a thanking you mail in return, just as you would say in words.
You can respond to feedback by saying,
‘Thank you; I acknowledge your feedback on my efforts for achieving the desired result.’
Frequently Asked Questions on "Thank you for the Compliment"
How do you thank someone for a compliment?
Respond with a simple, “Thank you, I appreciate your kind words!” This straightforward acknowledgment expresses gratitude and recognizes the compliment giver’s intent.
How do you respond when someone compliments you?
A gracious response would be, “That means a lot to me, thank you for noticing!” This shows you value their opinion and appreciate the recognition.
What can I say instead of thank you after a compliment?
Try saying, “I’m glad you think so, it made my day!” This response not only shows gratitude but also conveys the positive impact of their words.
How do you accept a compliment humbly?
To accept a compliment humbly, you could say, “I’m honored to hear that, thank you for your kind words.” This reflects modesty while acknowledging the compliment.
How do you humbly say thank you for a compliment?
A humble way to say thank you would be, “Your words are very encouraging, thank you.” This response shows you are grounded and thankful for the praise.
Do you have to say thank you to a compliment?
Yes, it’s polite to say thank you to a compliment. It shows good manners and respect for the person’s gesture, acknowledging their positive feedback.
What are some creative ways to say thank you for a compliment?
Here are 10 creative ways to say thank you for a compliment:
- “You just made my day!” – This shows that their compliment had a significant positive impact on you.
- “I’m really touched by your words, thank you.” – This expresses a deep appreciation and emotional impact.
- “That means so much to me, especially coming from you.” – This emphasizes the value you place on the opinion of the person complimenting you.
- “I’m glad you noticed! It means a lot.” – This acknowledges their attentiveness and shows gratitude.
- “Your feedback is very encouraging, thank you.” – This highlights the positive effect of their compliment.
- “Wow, thanks! I worked hard on that.” – This response connects the effort you put into the work with the compliment received.
- “Thank you for acknowledging my effort, it’s really motivating.” – This shows that the compliment has boosted your motivation.
- “Hearing that from you is truly rewarding, thank you.” – This indicates that the compliment holds special value coming from the speaker.
- “I appreciate your kind words, they mean a great deal to me.” – This conveys a strong sense of gratitude and value for the compliment.
- “Thank you for noticing! I’m thrilled to hear you think so.” – This expresses excitement and appreciation for the recognition.
How do you respond to a compliment in a professional setting?
Responding to a compliment in a professional setting can be done gracefully with these points:
- Express Gratitude: Start with a simple “Thank you” to acknowledge the compliment.
- Be Modest: A humble response like “I really appreciate your feedback” can be effective.
- Acknowledge Team Effort: If applicable, mention your team’s contribution, e.g., “I couldn’t have done it without my team’s support.”
- Keep it Professional: Maintain a professional tone in your response, ensuring it’s respectful and appropriate for the workplace.
- Use the Opportunity to Build Relationships: Use the compliment as a stepping stone to foster professional relationships, perhaps by saying, “I’m glad you found my work valuable.”
- Briefly Mention the Effort or Skill: Recognize the work behind the achievement, such as “I’ve been working on improving that skill.”
- Move the Conversation Forward: After thanking, steer the conversation to related work topics or upcoming projects to demonstrate engagement and forward-thinking.
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