It’s easy to contribute to a conversation by adding a “that’s great” here and there.

It is a lazy way to interact.

Sure, it is based on an intention to be supportive, and acknowledge what we’ve seen or heard, but also to encourage someone who might have a different perception.

And yes, this might be sufficient whenever the “that’s great” is experienced as supportive and when both are connected.

But it’s lazy because it assumes that one’s perception of a situation is shared by the other. It’s lazy because it lets go of becoming aware of what it is that one finds great. It’s lazy because the reaction stays with the emotional sense of liking or disliking.

Words like great, good, or bad don’t say anything about the content. They are descriptive of an evaluation but don’t share what it is measured by.

It is an interesting exercise to search for an alternative. Take, for example, the sentence “it’s a great game.” Instead of “great” one could use challenging, encouraging, fast, captivating, turnaround, and so on. Notice how these words all change the initial perception of “great game” into something different. Notice also how using these words says much more about the individual using them. The gain of clarity is one both will benefit from.

This is just as true in team situations. Hearing “great job” is nice but knowing what it is that was great about that job, helps to learn what it is that is appreciated. It is information that becomes available for later decisions.