You're beautiful and I love you!
Before you start reading this, I want to tell you that I think you’re doing a good job!
At what, you ask?
Oh, it doesn’t really matter. You’re doing a good job at something. I know. I can tell.
Because you’re beautiful, and I love you. You’re probably eating a cookie, or taking off your shoes, or folding laundry, or washing your armpits. Whatever it is you’re doing right now, including reading this post, GOOD JOB! You are an amazing! Person.
If that sounds incredibly sincere and genuine, it’s because it is. I love you and I think you’re doing a good job, even though I have no idea what you’re doing right now. I just know you’re doing a good job at it because you’re awesome! That’s the intrinsic beauty of the phrase “good job”—it has depth and power, and it can break down barriers and establish relationships where they were previously thought impossible.
“You know, Jim, you’re really doing a good job fucking up the company bottom line with your horrible work ethic.”
“Hey, thanks, man. I really appreciate that.”
“Anytime. And, hey. . . Good Job!”
The phrase “good job”—when broken down into its component parts and analyzed—basically means that someone is doing a job and they’re doing it good. Good job if that simplest form of logical reasoning made sense to you. People like to be told “good job” because it makes them feel like they’re doing their job good.
When telling adults they’re doing a good job, we would be wise to take our cue from how we talk to children. We use the phrase “good job” absolutely divinely with children. We tell them they’re doing a good job for every single fucking thing they do in their entire life. And they deserve it, because, after all, they are doing a good job, whatever job they happen to be doing.
At the playground: “Good job sliding down the slide even though you just slipped and didn’t mean to go down!” “Good job climbing the four inch rock even though you didn’t even make it to the top!” “Good job swinging even though you’re just sitting there while I push you!”
At home: “Good job almost putting together that two piece puzzle!” “Good job pooping in the middle of the rug!” “Good job sharing your nasty half chewed cracker with your sister!”
At soccer practice: “Good job dribbling the ball out of bounds and into the raspberry briar!” “Good job running in the wrong direction while you picked your nose!” “Good job kicking that kid in the nuts when you missed the ball!”
As you can see, it doesn’t really matter what is actually being “good jobbed” as long as the particular action is being “good jobbed” with undeniable cheer and enthusiasm.
"You're almost through reading the post! Good Job!"
That way, the person receiving the compliment knows your words are coming directly from the heart, as if you had a glowing sunbeam emanating out of your chest with a heat sensing device aimed at the person’s mind. This is extremely meaningful to children and essential to their sense of well-being and continued cognitive development. Which is of course why “good job” is used so ubiquitously—to make children feel appreciated and rewarded (and not judged) for everything they do.
So, think of how you talk to children and use these same steps when talking to adults.
1. Identify something easy, completely ordinary, or possibly stupid that the person is doing.
2. Make a big deal about how excited you are that they are accomplishing this mundane task.
3. Greet them with a cheery and impassioned expression. Hand gestures are encouraged but not required.
4. Tell them—with enthusiasm and vigor—that they’re doing a “good job!”
Photo credits: stevendepolo; oundfromwayout
About Jared Karol
Good job at writing this post about encouraging people with the phrase “good job”! Way to go!
Twitter Name: thepsychobabble
Hey, thanks so much. Good job at encouraging people to do a good job at encouraging people to do a good job! :)
Twitter Name: lickthefridge
This reminds me of something I learned from my husband’s moronic district manager whom was doing such a good job, he was demoted:
Give people a sh!t sandwich-
-give a compliment/positive remark
-whatever you need to say/negative remark
-another positive remark
“Wow, Joe. You are doing a great job, but you really need to watch how many hours you are scheduling. Your end-of-the-quarter results will shoot to number one!
Twitter Name: coolandhip
yes, that is awesome. And it really IS a shit sandwich–not the positive sandwich that people who are making the sandwiches like to claim it as. Euphemisms!
Twitter Name: lickthefridge
I am doing a good job at avoiding work. I love your humor! Now go like me at http://www.facebook.com/campanellidesign and tell me I am doing a good job. LOL I could use the interaction. ;-) ok, you dont have to. but it would be a nice thing to do and it does not cost you anything. Keep up the good work. Atta Boy!
Done and done! You did such a good job with your comment that you deserved the reward of having another person “like” your page. Good job!
Twitter Name: lickthefridge
Can I occasionally mix in a “nice play” and slap you on the ass?
Twitter Name: thoughtfulpop
Yes, that is okay (especially the ass slapping part), but don’t let it become a substitute for a good old fashioned “good job!” Keep your standards high!
Twitter Name: lickthefridge
Yay for you and way to go good jobbing!!! You win the good jobber Gold Star Award from the Chamber of Commerce. You’re Good Jobber King. The Donald Trump of Good Jobbers.
(PSSST: Have you ever thought of doing an aerobics video on the shopping channel? You’d be like the best. Ever.)
I love you man!!!
Twitter Name: writewrds
Wow! I’m truly grateful to receive such prestigious rewards! Thank you! And, yes, I have considered doing an aerobics video on the shopping channel, except the folks there didn’t tell me I was doing a good job, so I quit feeling unwanted and unappreciated. I love YOU, man!
Twitter Name: lickthefridge
Several things:
First and foremost; Good Job! Your post made me remember some important things!
Second: I got to take a course in conflict management a long time ago (which actually helped me) and they talked a lot about this technique for “correcting” behavior. It’s called “Liked best/Next time” and it sounds suspiciously like a “shit sandwich”
Third: Wow, good job reading my comment! You’re doing Super!
Fourth: There actually is a movement called at http://www.operationbeautiful.com that encourages people to leave little anonymous notes wherever to tell people how beautiful they are or how awesome they are or just a random positive motivating thing. It’s aimed mostly at women and girls but I just wanted to say, in celebration of such a great cause, YOU are AWESOME! You totally rock!
Hi, first, before I begin–You are AWESOME! Good job! Yes, the shit sandwich is the non-euphemistic phrase for correcting behavior. And, actually, there is a difference between genuinely complimenting someone and “good job”bing them. Unfortunately, most people don’t know the difference. . .
Twitter Name: lickthefridge
I agree with you on this, really. Haven’t met too many peopel who think the same way!