Unfireable Protocol

What to say when your manager says "good work"

Do not let praise die as a nice feeling. Attach it to the outcome.

Use this when

  • Someone praises your work but does not name the impact.
  • You want the work to be remembered without making a speech.
  • You need proof for review season but hate sounding like a corporate suck-up.

For growth work

Thanks. Glad it increased signups by {{result}}.

For support or ops work

Thanks. Glad it reduced repeat support tickets by {{result}}.

For product or engineering work

Thanks. Glad it made {{product/flow}} {{result}} faster.

If you do not have a number yet

Thanks. Glad it helped unblock {{team/person/project}}.

Weak version

Thanks!

Better version

Thanks. Glad it reduced repeat support tickets by 18%.

Why this works

  • Memory works through association. You attach the praise to a result.
  • "Good work" becomes "the thing that changed something."
  • Over time, that becomes your brand inside the company.

Do not do this

  • Do not turn it into a TED Talk.
  • Do not fake a metric. Use a real result or a real unblock.
  • Do not say "as you know" or anything that makes the reply feel rehearsed.

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