My husband watches a lot of sports on television, and he usually sticks around for the post-game interviews.  He recently noticed a common thread in these conversations.  Inevitably, a reporter will be congratulating an athlete on a spectacular play, and in response the athlete will blush, shrug his/her shoulders, and say something like: “I just got lucky” or “the other guy/team had an off night.”

We know where these sentiments are coming from.  Professional athletes make a tremendous amount of money and enjoy an untold amount of prestige, and so they want to project the image of being modest.  The trouble is, by never taking credit for their own accomplishments, they are undermining their talent as stellar players, the very talent that gives them the right to be talking to reporters on national television.   

The same holds true for those of us slogging along in the business world.  Most of us have no idea how to accept compliments graciously.  If someone praises you for something you weren’t in fact responsible for, then give credit where credit is due.  But if you genuinely deserve the compliment, don’t deflect it or brush it off.  This will reflect negatively on your confidence, and possibly even on your performance.  All you need to do is sincerely say thank you.  And mentally, take a minute to pat yourself on the back.  Praise in the business world can be a fickle thing, so you should savor it while you can!