Congratulations! or Good Job! or Nice Work! Which is it?!?
Congratulations Harrison!!
Wait… for what? Did I do something?
If you congratulate someone by saying congratulations… what are you doing? Is there something that the individual is being congratulated for? You’re not saying that though?
How do they know what you’re proud of?
Did they do well on a test? Did they execute on a commitment? Did they get accepted into some sort of exclusive class or conference?
Maybe… but how do they know that? Especially if (like each and every one of us) they are AWESOME.
Good job Harrison!
Why thank you, but isn’t that what I’m supposed to do?
I thought I’m expected to do a good job?
Isn’t that kind of telling me that I woke up this morning? I mean thanks… that’s what I do every day.
Now I totally understand why some people can appreciate this compliment but there could definitely be some added contexts that I think would make this appropriate.
But in the same breath, I realize that this works well for some people but not all.
What about saying nice work?
Nice work on what?
With some more specificity, I think that this is an excellent way to pass on congratulations.
“Nice work on that project for such and such client, you really blew them away.”
Well, that would be excellent, wouldn’t it?
You took the time to call out a particular thing and congratulate the individual on that specific thing as well as communicated the result of what happened.
It’s valuable to do both.
We should always strive to cater the individual, everyone is uniquely distinct.
What might work for someone will not work for another.
Then there are the cultural norms also — some nations are more individualistic and others are communal.
I’ve sought to be descriptive in my congratulations on most occasions yet some people thirst to hear someone simply say, “congratulations.”
Just make it genuine. Genuinity and sincerity will usually help communicate the message no matter the words we use.
Blessings always and congratulations on being blessed with another day, time is fleeting and life is short.
EVERY interaction
EVERY moment
EVERY thought
MATTERS.
