French people are motivated by meeting their own standards of quality, not by earning external praise. From childhood, they develop strong internal benchmarks for what constitutes good work. The educational system grades rigorously and honestly, teaching self-assessment early.
In professional life, substantive competence matters more than enthusiastic feedback. Compliments from respected, competent authority carry weight; generic praise or motivational cheerleading does not.
If you want to motivate French colleagues, respect their intelligence by providing honest evaluation rather than inflated encouragement. They want to know where they genuinely stand, not be reassured. Excessive positive feedback may actually undermine your credibility. The French are their own toughest critics, and they trust their own judgment of quality more than external validation.
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