In business, faint praise is often used strategically to avoid overt criticism while still conveying a lack of enthusiasm or confidence. It can be a subtle way to undermine employees, competitors, manage expectations, or signal dissatisfaction without being confrontational.
Probably the best known damnation of an employee by faint praise from a manager is:
“It’s a good start.”
Trigger words or phrases that should alert you to being damned by faint praise include:
- adequate, as in “your performance was…”
- fine, as in “your report was…”
- decent: as in “you did a decent job on..”
- a bit, as in “you were a bit more…..this time”
- good effort
- not bad
- interesting
- but, you can ignore everything before the word “but.”
- however, you can ignore everything before the word “however.”
- although, you can ignore everything before the word “although.”
I have observed “being damned by faint praise” mainly in manager-employee interactions, frequently (but not always) in group sessions. Some of the most egregious examples are as follows.
1. Performance Reviews
- Example:
“You consistently meet your deadlines, which is good.”
While this seems positive, it only acknowledges the bare minimum (meeting deadlines) and fails to recognize exceptional effort, innovation, or growth. - Example:
“You’re always willing to help out when asked.”
This praise focuses on compliance and availability rather than initiative or leadership, subtly suggesting the employee isn’t proactive.
2. Skill Development
- Example:
“Your presentation skills are improving, which is nice to see.”
The use of “nice to see” and “improving” implies that the employee’s skills are still not where they need to be, without offering constructive guidance. - Example:
“You’ve made some progress in managing your time better.”
This faint praise suggests that time management is still an issue, rather than celebrating the progress made.
3. Team Contributions
- Example:
“You’re a dependable member of the team.”
While this sounds positive, it focuses on reliability rather than creativity, leadership, or impact, subtly implying the employee doesn’t stand out. - Example:
“You’ve been consistent in your role.”
This praise emphasizes consistency but avoids acknowledging growth, innovation, or exceptional contributions.
4. Project Feedback
- Example:
“The project was completed on time, which is what we expected.”
This feedback highlights meeting expectations but doesn’t acknowledge any extra effort, creativity, or challenges overcome. - Example:
“Your work on the project was adequate.”
The word “adequate” is a classic example of faint praise, suggesting the work was just satisfactory and nothing more.
5. Leadership and Initiative
- Example:
“You’ve been stepping up more recently, which is appreciated.”
This implies that stepping up is a new development and not a consistent behavior, subtly criticizing past performance. - Example:
“You’ve shown some leadership potential.”
The use of “some” and “potential” suggests the employee hasn’t fully demonstrated leadership yet, undermining their efforts.
6. Behavioral Feedback
- Example:
“You’ve been less confrontational in meetings lately, which is a positive change.”
This feedback focuses on fixing a past negative behavior rather than highlighting positive traits or contributions. - Example:
“You’ve been more communicative, which is helpful.”
The use of “helpful” instead of “valuable” or “impactful” downplays the significance of the improvement.
Being “damned by faint praise” is also exhibited in other situations, such as customer meetings, competitive analysis (maybe not too bad in this case) and marketing.
1. Customer Feedback
- Example: A product review states:
“This blender works fine for basic tasks, but don’t expect anything extraordinary.”
While not overtly negative, the lukewarm praise suggests the product is mediocre and not worth enthusiastic recommendation. - Example: “The hotel was clean, and the staff were polite.”
This feedback avoids mentioning any standout features (e.g., comfort, amenities, or service quality), subtly implying the experience was underwhelming.
2. Competitive Positioning
- Example: A company describes a competitor’s product in a presentation:
“Their solution is affordable and easy to use, which is great for small businesses with limited needs.”
This praise subtly positions the competitor as only suitable for low-end or less demanding customers, implying their product lacks sophistication or scalability. - Example: “They’ve been in the industry for a long time, which is impressive.”
This comment focuses on longevity rather than innovation or success, suggesting the competitor may be outdated or stagnant.
3. Marketing and Public Relations
- Example: A spokesperson says about a rival company’s new product launch:
“It’s an interesting approach, and we’re curious to see how it performs in the market.”
This sounds neutral but subtly casts doubt on the product’s potential success. - Example: “Their campaign is certainly creative, though it remains to be seen if it resonates with customers.”
This faint praise highlights creativity but questions its effectiveness, undermining the campaign’s impact.
4. Investor Communications
- Example: An analyst writes about a company’s earnings report:
“The company met expectations this quarter, which is a step in the right direction.”
This implies that merely meeting expectations is not particularly impressive and suggests the company has room for improvement. - Example: “The CEO has done a decent job navigating recent challenges.”
The use of “decent” instead of “excellent” or “outstanding” subtly suggests the CEO’s performance is merely adequate, not exceptional.
The phrase “damned by faint praise” originates from Alexander Pope’s 1735 poem “Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot.” In the poem, Pope writes:
“Damn with faint praise, assent with civil leer,
And without sneering, teach the rest to sneer;
Willing to wound, and yet afraid to strike,
Just hint a fault, and hesitate dislike.”
The phrase describes a situation where someone is criticized indirectly by being given only weak or insincere compliments, effectively undermining them without overtly attacking them. It has since become a common expression in English to describe praise that is so tepid or half-hearted that it ends up being more damaging than supportive.
NYT report on Robert Kennedy’s meeting with food industry executives, March 11,2025.
In an email, a PepsiCo spokesperson said that the company viewed the meeting as a “productive first step”