I Know I’m Great, Thank You

At the company town hall, the executive praised Ted for leading a successful project. Ted winced. What should he say? He hadn’t actually done the heavy lifting. He feared annoying his coworkers, but also needed to respond to the executive, who was now looking at him expectantly.

A compliment is not always a good thing, especially when you receive it in front of an audience. And yet it happens consistently in corporate life, because leaders are trained to compliment employees at least weekly: Data shows that when they do, 88% of employees feel valued, according to a survey by HR platform Nectar. The consequence? Hundreds of compliments every year from various managers and executives. Yet one ungraceful response can injure a career. “The biggest risk is to not recognize other contributors,” says HR expert Ron Porter, senior partner at Korn Ferry.

The optimal response varies according to the medium, the audience, and the person delivering the compliment. Here are four of the most common scenarios. (Yes, you’re welcome.)

You are complimented for work that involved others.

A cardinal rule applies when responding to compliments: Share them with the team, no matter how minimal their contributions. Acknowledge anyone who worked with you, helped you, or gave advice. “Sharing the glory with others is usually called for,” says organizational strategist Maria Amato, senior client partner at Korn Ferry.

In front of many people, a speaker compliments you in an over-the-top way.

Just let it stand. Think neutral. “Don’t engage, don’t encourage,” says Porter. “You say thank you, and pretty much leave it at that.” You’re not necessarily agreeing with the compliment; you’re simply appreciating that the speaker recognized you.

On a public social-media feed, you are complimented by a superior.

Don’t return the compliment, because it’ll likely read as obsequious. Hit “reply,” say thank you, and tag the others involved in the work. “You are adding people to the compliment,” says Porter. Experts advise replying swiftly, because letting a compliment linger unanswered can be interpreted as a subtle snub.

In an email thread that includes others, you are thanked.

Say thank you while closing out the thread. Example: “Thank you—my team deserves all the praise. Shifting everyone to BCC. Mandy, can we set a time for a postmort?” The goal is to avoid opening an endless chain (“thank you,” “you’re welcome,” “anytime”). “That clutters up inboxes and doesn’t add value for anyone,” says Amato.

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