kannustinsana
Kannustinsana, literally translating to "an encouraging word" in Finnish, refers to a brief expression used to acknowledge effort, progress, or potential and to motivate someone. It is commonly employed in educational settings, parenting, sports coaching, and workplace leadership to reinforce desirable behaviors or learning strategies rather than merely judging outcomes. The goal of a kannustinsana is to support self-efficacy, resilience, and continued engagement.
A typical kannustinsana is specific, timely, and sincere. Rather than vague praise, it highlights concrete aspects
In psychology, encouragement of this kind is aligned with process-oriented praise, which emphasizes effort, strategies, and
Culturally, kannustinsana is regarded as a tool within kannustaminen (encouragement) that should be authentic and balanced
See also: positive reinforcement, praise, feedback, growth mindset.