Ben: Well, that's the problem with all these non-appearance compliments. They seem like the most basic, shallow, fake, generic compliments that you could come up with, right? Grace: Yes, exactly.

Sometimes generic compliments feel superficial, but expressing gratitude for someone’s impact on your life rarely does. Once you get tired of all the sappy crap, go hit another casino.

Avoid generic compliments when starting the conversation. Try to begin with something specific to your employee's performance. This shows that you pay attention and value their contributions.

We’re used to giving “praise sandwiches”–a criticism wedged in between two generic compliments–that give our brains indigestion. A few years ago, I was working hard on a scrappy document ...