Be truthful.  Don’t embellish the impact of the behavior.  When someone does something well that you want to recognize, just tell it like it is.  If the impact was small that is okay, you don’t need to make a production out of everything.  If on the other hand, your employee did something that saved many lives, maybe a parade is warranted.  The things that you want to target are those behaviors that can be repeated and that will serve as models of behavior you would like to see other employees engage in.  When giving feedback, keep it simple, and keep it honest.

Provide it often: It is hard to overdo providing positive feedback. Never combine positive feedback with negative or constructive feedback – no feedback sandwiches (the nutritional value of those are very poor)

Make sure it is:

• Specific and sincere
• Timely
• Highlights a Desirable behavior
• Is Repeatable
• Focused on the Behavior – not the motivation or the outcome.

And whenever possible, make it Public, but know your employees!