How to respond to positive feedback from a boss

To respond to positive feedback from a boss, you should show gratitude, remain professional, and ask pertinent questions. Here are some details on these strategies and others to respond to positive feedback from a boss:

• Show gratitude. Saying "thank you" can go a long way in letting your boss know you appreciate the feedback. It shows them that you respect and appreciate their acknowledgment of your hard work.

• Remain professional. This is key. You are being commended for your hard work, so you should always show respect in return. This also applies to finding out ways you can improve even further. Being professional has likely contributed to this positive feedback, so don't stop now.

• Ask pertinent questions. Asking follow-up questions is a way to show your commitment to your job and that even though you are being commended, you still seek to be the best employee possible.

• Acknowledge others, if applicable. If applicable, you should share the credit for your work with coworkers. This shows you are a team player and not an ego-driven employee.

• Write your boss a note. Sending your boss a thank you note or email for the positive feedback is another way to respond. Here are the steps for this process:

  • Figure out your boss's style. It is a good idea to determine your boss's style before you write them a thank you note or email. You should take into consideration how formal your boss is.

    If they tend to be more on the formal side, you should write a traditional note with a polite and professional tone. You can make the note more unique and personal if your boss is casual.

  • Greeting. Next, you should write an appropriate greeting. "Dear" is the most common and formal option, but you could also just choose to start with your boss's first name, depending on how close you are.

  • The body of your thank you note. Here is the main portion of your note. A good way to start is by expressing gratitude for the feedback. Try to go into a little bit of detail to let them know how appreciative you are of this acknowledgment.

  • Conclusion sentence. The last step in the writing process is to do a conclusion sentence. This one should not be too long but should encapsulate the gratitude and other information you included in the note's body.

  • Closing phrase. It is customary to add a closing phrase before your signature. Some common options include:

    • Sincerely

    • Warm regards

    • With appreciation