The how and why of praising complete strangers

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August 4, 2026 | 12:00am

I’m now enjoying a new hobby on social media. And before you roll your eyes, yes, it’s on LinkedIn which is a different stage from Facebook. On LinkedIn, I have developed a borderline obsessive passion for praising complete strangers on their career milestones.

The moment someone gets a promotion, receives a service award, completes a master’s degree or secures a weekend course, I’m there in the comments section like an over-enthusiastic digital hype-man encouraging people to achieve more.

Is it unusual? Absolutely. But as I “age gracefully” (a code for realizing life is too short to be a jealous freak), I’ve found that sprinkling these little bursts of joy gives me a psychological thrill. Call it a win-win: strangers get an ego boost while I get a dose of a positive lift.

LinkedIn is heavily populated by commentators sharing management theories and their real-world application. Aside from praising strangers for their accomplishments, I dabble in sharing my ideas. When someone posted his concept about the Thinking Production System, I suggested focusing on the Thinking People Strategy.

I explained that “Production” is nothing without the emphasis on “People” in the equation. If you focus on people, quality and productivity naturally follow.

Another example. When someone posted an AI illustration of the Fishbone Diagram showing Material, Method, Machine, Measurement, People and Environment, I politely suggested changing “People” to Manpower and “Environment” to Mother Nature.

That’s 6Ms for consistency. Both suggestions received a “thumbs-up” sign from the proponents. No comment. No nothing. And that’s enough for me.

Empathy

We, as human beings, possess an amazing capacity for empathy. You only have to discover it. When I see some strangers accomplish something, I train my brain to get a fraction of that person’s joy. I celebrate while sending them brief congratulatory messages. For me, it serves as a dose of inspiration that reminds us of what is humanly possible.

It’s my way of saying: “I don’t know you, but I know how difficult it is to navigate that mountain. I’m glad you made it.”

Rather than wallow in jealousy, I would automatically shift to giving people an online standing ovation about their accomplishments. Let me put this into context:

1. Social credit and validation. Congratulating a stranger gives me a different positive feeling for that person. It’s like inserting myself as part of his “tribe” and sharing the fruits of his accomplishments.

That’s how a stranger-to-stranger praise becomes an act of welcoming someone into a collective achievement circle.

2. Low-cost, high-return goodwill. Inside the ego economy, a compliment is entirely free of charge, yet incredibly valuable to receive. It feels good to inject a bit of positivity to anyone.

It’s an easy way to participate in a joyful celebration that requires no pre-established professional relationship.

3. The digital “applause.” Congratulating strangers online is driven by casual professional networking. For me, it’s also to maintain online visibility while doing something nice, without paying a premium subscription.

Behavioral masterclass

My hobby isn’t just a warm social oddity, but a behavioral masterclass in Kaizen and Lean Thinking. In office and factory floors, giving a congratulatory message to people, including strangers aligns perfectly well with the two basic tenets:

1. Standard for psychological safety. It’s not about machines and tools. It’s about the people using them. American genius W. Edwards Deming (1900-1993) told us to “drive out fear” from the workplace.

Like Deming, I’m building high psychological safety environment they can bring back to their work.

2. Zero-waste motivation mechanism. If we look closely at human motivation as a production process, incentives like cash bonuses and merit pay increases require lead time, CEO approval and a sizeable budget.

A stranger’s congratulatory note, however, is a Just-in-Time motivational booster. It requires zero budget, no cycle time delay and no overthinking committees. That’s because congratulating a stranger doesn’t need a formal reporting line to create value.

It’s simply the most efficient way of fueling the human engine that drives continuous improvement forward. It’s like greeting a stranger with “good morning” during an early walk.

In conclusion, it’s like correcting a problem of organizational charts. They’re great for mapping accountability, but they make terrible engines for human empathy.

Rey Elbo is a quality and productivity activist. Send your comment, question or story to [email protected] or via Facebook, LinkedIn, X or https://reyelbo.com