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Disillusioned or negative employees are especially hard to motivate because even praise doesn’t seem to reach them. But that could be because your praise is coming off as superficial. With hard-to-reach employees, praise must be detailed and accurate. Use this three-step process to get your message across:

1. Show that you understand the difficulty of what they did.
2. Show you understand how they succeeded—their technique, their decisions.
3. Show you understand the value of what they did.

In other words, giving praise can be work! But like work, it’s worthwhile when it accomplishes something.

You can't get your GED online or through correspondence courses. That's the message from the General Educational Development Testing Service, the architect of the GED Tests. Nevertheless, GED administrators nationwide are reporting increasing numbers of complaints from people who paid high fees to take what they thought were GED Tests, but weren't. GED Tests can be taken only at an official GED Testing Center, says a GED spokesperson. Any organization that offers the GED through any other means is not affiliated with the GEDTS and may not be accepted by employers, colleges and universities, or the military. To find the GED center closest to you, go to www.acenet.edu/resources/GED/center_locator.cfm. To check the authenticity of an individual's GED, contact the appropriate jurisdictional agency that administers the GED Tests. A listing of these agencies can be found at www.gedtest.org.

August 2008 Daily

Rounds Re-sounding Day. Aug. 1. This is an effort to preserve rounds, catches, and canons sung in the folk contrapuntal tradition. Motto: “As rounds re-sound and resound, all the world’s joined in a circle of harmony.” For more information, go to www.delamar.org/roundsresoundingsociety.htm.
Solar eclipse. Aug. 1. A total eclipse of the sun will be visible on this day in the Northeast, as well as in Europe and Asia. This is the second and last solar eclipse for the year. The first occurred on Feb. 7 and was an annular eclipse, meaning the sun appeared as a halo around the moon.
National Mustard Day. Aug. 2. Mustard lovers across the nation unite and pay tribute to the oldest known condiment. The Mount Horeb Mustard Museum houses the largest collection of prepared mustards in the world: more than 4,600. For more information, visit www.mustardmuseum.com
National Night Out. Aug. 5. This marks the 25th anniversary of this event created to promote police-community partnerships and encourage everyone to help fight crime. For more information, visit www.nationalnightout.org.

August 2008 Monthly

Cataract Awareness Month. Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in the world. For more information, go towww.preventblindness.org.
Get Ready for Kindergarten Month. Support a happy entry into kindergarten for the almost 2 million children who will attend this fall. For information about preparing children emotionally and intellectually, visit www.education.com/grade/kindergarten.
National Immunization Awareness Month. Immunization is critical to maintaining health and preventing life-threatening diseases among people of all ages and cultures. For more information, go to www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/niam/default.htm.
National Inventors’ Month. Pay homage to the inventors of the world who have changed the quality of our lives. For more information, visit www.inventhelp.com/National_Inventors_Month.asp.

August 2008 Weekly

World Breastfeeding Week. Aug. 1–7. Advocates, healthcare professionals, and social service agencies focus attention on the importance and benefits of breastfeeding. For more information, go to www.lllusa.org/wbw/.
Elvis Week. Aug. 9–17. Each year, Elvis fans from around the world visit Memphis to celebrate the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” at his beloved Graceland. For more information, go to www.elvis.com.
National Safe at Home Week. Aug. 25–29. More people are injured in and around the home than at work. Recognize and eliminate the dangers that lurk in your own backyard. For more information, go to www.safeathomeonline.com.