How to Respond to a Compliment at Work: Sample Responses

Compliments at work can boost morale and foster a positive environment, but responding to a genuine compliment for the first time can feel awkward. Employees may downplay their accomplishments or make self-deprecating comments when receiving compliments. However, with some simple communication strategies, you can avoid growing flustered and instead graciously acknowledge the praise.

With a little preparation, you can learn how to respond to compliments with both appreciation and professionalism, even if they catch you off guard.

1. 1. Demonstrate your appreciation. Showing your appreciation is an effective and simple way to respond to a compliment and make the person feel acknowledged. You can verbally demonstrate your gratitude by saying thank you, or use your body language to recognize your appreciation with a handshake, eye contact, and smile. Responding to kind words with gratitude also shows your humility to your team members and managers, which can help you improve your professional relationships.
2. 2. Reflect on the assignment. After acknowledging the compliment, reflect on the assignment or work your colleague has praised. For example, if a team member congratulates you on finishing a new project, you can discuss the work that went into the assignment. This is a great way to keep the conversation flowing and demonstrate the knowledge and skills you gained from completing the task.
3. 3. Acknowledge your team members. If you receive a compliment on a collaborative project, consider responding by acknowledging your team members’ work as well. Giving credit and complimenting your coworkers shows you’re a team player. Thus, by recognizing the contributions and hard work of your colleagues, you show that you not only work well with others but also understand the importance of teamwork.

Here are a few different responses you can try depending on the situation and type of compliment:

• Assignment-focused response: “Thank you. Working on this project has been a great learning opportunity.”
• Team-centric response: “I appreciate you saying that. It was a team effort.”
• General response: “Thank you. That’s great to hear.”

When responding to a complimentary email, it’s still important to convey positive emotion and gratitude in your response.

1. 1. Address the person by their name. As a general rule, address the person with a professional greeting. Writing out their name keeps the email chain professional and demonstrates your attention to detail.
2. 2. Be genuine. It’s often easier to convey authentic enthusiasm and appreciation via face-to-face interactions than over email. However, when replying to an email, you should express gratitude in your response. Start off your email by saying “thank you” to acknowledge the person’s compliment. From there, you can write a sentence about how the compliment positively impacted you or how you’re excited for the next project.
   
3. 3. Keep it brief. Keep it short and sweet when you follow up on a complimentary email. Writing two or three sentences in your response email provides you the opportunity to acknowledge the compliments from your colleague.

The next time you receive a complimentary email from a coworker or manager, incorporate a few simple sentences in the body of your email that demonstrate your appreciation for the person’s kind words.

• General response: “That’s great to hear. You made my day.”
• Complimentary feedback response: “Thank you. I appreciate your kind words and positive feedback.”
• Customer or client response: “Thank you for your continued support. We value our long-standing partnership.”

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