When a team member shows improvement—like hitting a milestone, increasing their awareness, closing a knowledge gap, or leveling up a skill—a leader’s natural instinct is to praise them: “Great job,” “Really impressive,” “Way to go.”
These compliments land well, but they miss the more powerful recognition of focusing on the progress rather than the outcome.
Statements of Progress name how a team member has grown over time. It’s an observation of improvement that is not focused only on results.
Such statements show the leader is paying attention to how people are growing.
“You’re becoming someone others look to for clarity,” “Your judgment under pressure continues to improve,” “You’ve gone from hesitant to confident in meetings,” “Your communication is more succinct and impactful now.”
Leaders who frequently replace praise with Statements of Progress elevate the intrinsic motivation team members have to perform at a higher level.
Leaders who recognize progress encourage people to invest more heavily in their own improvement. But the best leaders understand that even Statements of Progress stop short of where the real development begins.
Great leaders don’t just notice progress and call it out. They get curious about it.
When a leader asks a team member to account for and explain the reason for their improvement, they unleash the internal reflection essential for personal growth.
Pairing statements of progress with inquiry allows recognition to do double duty. It asks team members to internalize their own feedback.
Questions like “What’s different about your approach this time?”, “What accounts for your progress?”, “What are you doing differently now?”, and “What have you changed to make such marked improvement?” sound simple, but they are deceptively influential.
When a leader asks a team member to articulate their own growth, the conversation shifts from external validation to internal discovery.
The team member is no longer receiving a compliment or just being recognized. They are constructing an explanation.
One they own.
Think about the implications of this. Most professional development is done to people, not by them.
Leaders assign stretch projects, send people to training, schedule coaching sessions, and conduct performance reviews. All useful, but all leader-dependent.
Unfortunately, the moment the leader shifts their attention or moves on, the development engine falters.
Statements of Progress paired with inquiry change the equation. The team member who can name what’s working builds a portable toolkit. They carry it into the next challenge, the next role, and onto the next team.
No leader required.
Leaders who move beyond praise and recognition by starting an internal fire of reflection help people grow in ways they can best harness.
All this from a simple package of progress statements and inquiry.
Consider closing your skill gap when it comes to expressing recognition. Look for progress and inquire about it. Your team members will get even better as a result.
