The Best Way to Respond to Approval?
Responding well to approval and praise can be challenging. It is important to be gracious while also maintaining humility and perspective. The following thoughts on identifying and responding to approval aim to help you navigate these situations with care and wisdom.
What is Approval in a Conversation
Approval refers to expressing praise, admiration or agreement towards someone or something. Signs of approval in a conversation include:
- Compliments: ""You did a great job.""
- Affirmation: ""I agree completely.""
- Flattery: ""You're the best at what you do.""
How to Respond to approval
When responding to approval, express gratitude while also staying grounded. Some tips:
- Say ""thank you."" A simple acknowledgement of the approval and appreciation for the other person.
- Stay humble. You might say something like ""I appreciate your kind words"" or ""I was fortunate things came together well.""
- Share the credit. Especially at work, say something like ""Thank you, it was a team effort"" or ""I'm glad the whole department pulled together.""
- Ask follow up questions. If the approval seems excessive, ask questions to better understand the reasoning and intent behind the praise. But do so curiously rather than confrontationally.
Considerations
Consider the relationship with the person expressing approval and their motivations. Are they genuinely appreciative or attempting to curry favor? While approval feels good, too much can be off-putting. Graciously accept compliments but do not let them inflate your ego or define your self-worth.
Case Examples
Case 1: Your coworker says, ""You did an amazing job on the project. You really came through for us.""
You respond: ""Thank you, I appreciate you noticing. It was a group effort - I'm happy we were able to work well together as a team.""
Case 2: Your friend tells you, ""You're the most thoughtful and kind person I know.""
You respond: ""Wow, thank you. That is very kind of you to say. I'm fortunate to have friends like you in my life.""
Case 3: Your boss says, ""You are by far my best employee. I don't know what I'd do without you."" You respond: ""Thank you for your approval and confidence in me. I feel very fortunate to work here - it is rewarding to feel valued in my contributions.""
Conclusion
Navigating approval well is a worthwhile life skill. Respond with gratitude and grace, while keeping an even keel - stay grounded in what you know to be true about yourself, your values, and your purpose apart from the opinions of others. Though praise feels good to receive, do not become dependent on the approval of people or let it inflate your ego. You are worthy, simply because you exist - not because of what you achieve or accolades you are given. Stay focused on what really matters to you and keep putting one foot in front of the other. You've got this!