I am addicted to praise. The condition is neither attractive nor mature nor productive. Yet I crave praise and, if I don’t get it, I go into a decline. If I do get it, I hold it up to the light to assess its quality and, if it passes muster, I experience a brief “praise rush”. But then I want – I need – more.

Because my own appetite is insatiable, I assume that praise is the answer to every managerial problem. Especially at this point in the economic cycle, when no one can afford to reward people with more money, to reward them with generous handouts of “what a star” would seem a no-brainer.