Jane Dutton and Julia Lee “say nice things to coworkers” in Harvard Business Review
August 2, 2017
Jane Dutton and Julia Lee ’s article, “The benefits of saying nice things about your colleagues,” was published in the Harvard Business Review.
The authors explained the benefits of being positive when “narrating others.” Definitions and examples of four strategies for cultivating positives about colleagues are detailed: creating first impressions, communicating the value of each team member, describing them positively if they are socially undermined, and using endings and exits to craft portraits.
Dutton is co-founder for the Center for Positive Organizations and Robert L. Kahn Distinguished University Emerita Professor of Business Administration and Psychology. She researches the power of positive relationships at work, job crafting, and positive identities.
Lee is Assistant Professor of Management and Organizations at Michigan Ross. Her current research relates to how the activation of best-self concepts, by highlighting one’s contributions, can lead to positive outcomes.