Whenever you’re trying to motivate employees you manage or students you’re teaching, it’s common to say “keep up the good work” to acknowledge their efforts.
That’s perfectly fine—it’s simple and sounds professional, especially at work. However, if you say this too often without pointing out specific accomplishments, it can come off as generic.
It can even seem insincere after a while, and it doesn’t offer clear feedback about what they did well.
That’s why we’ve created a list of 50 other phrases you can use to encourage someone without using “keep up the good work.”
Key Takeaways
- A great way to replace “keep up the good work” is by using words that feel more genuine and suited to your relationship with the person.
- We suggest saying, “Your efforts are truly making a difference,” as this focuses on the positive impact of their work.
- If you want to motivate them to not relent, try saying, “Continue with your impressive performance.”
From my experience as a team lead, I’ve noticed that many employees don’t really need to be told they’re doing well—they usually already know.
However, when people manage to turn a potential disaster into something minor, hearing “I appreciate your effort” will feel more special to them.
But that’s just one option. There are plenty of other alternatives to consider.
50 Other Ways to Say Keep Up The Good Work
- Whatever you are doing, keep at it….
- I see you
- I’m proud of the work you’re doing
- Keep going strong!
- Great job, keep it up!
- Way to go
- I’m very impressed by your progress
- I wouldn’t have done that as much as you did.
- Your efforts are truly making a difference.
- Maintain excellent performance.
- Don’t stop now, you’re doing fantastic!
- Continue with your impressive performance.
- You’re doing fantastic!
- Your approach is spot-on.
- You’re a true asset.
- Your work speaks volumes.
- You’re a trailblazer
- You leave a big shoe to fill
- Keep up the amazing work!
- Stay awesome!
- We’re lucky to have you on our team.
- The results from your good job are speaking for themselves.
- Keep doing what you’re doing!
- You’re on the right track!
- Keep it going!
- Great job, continue!
- You are making valuable contributions.
- Excellent effort, stay strong!
- Well done! Keep it going!
- You’re doing fantastic! Keep it up!
- Awesome work! Keep it going!
- Bravo! Keep it up!
- Outstanding work! Keep it going!
- Excellent job! Keep it up!
- Fantastic performance, carry on!
- You’re doing great!
- Let’s keep the momentum going
- Keep up the great effort!
- The outcomes from this work are nothing short of excellent.
- Keep rocking it!
- You’re making great progress!
- Superb work! Keep it going!
- Impressive work! Keep it up!
- Terrific job! Keep it going!
- Your dedication has not gone unnoticed.
- Maintain this momentum
- We admire the good job you’re doing
- Keep it up
- Fantastic work
- I appreciate all your hard work
The key to giving better praise is making sure it feels genuine and is directly tied to the person’s unique contributions.
Now, let’s take a closer look at some of these alternatives.
1. Whatever you are doing, keep at it!
If your goal is to encourage someone to remain consistent with their effort, try saying, “Whatever you’re doing, keep at it.” It works like a charm.
2. I see you
“I see you” is a great alternative to “keep up the good work,” especially in informal situations. It’s more casual and friendly but not the best choice for a professional setting.
3. I’m proud of the work you’re doing
Sometimes, it’s better to make the person realise the impact of their good work which is also, in a way, an encouragement to make them continue or do better. That’s why the phrase “I’m proud of the work you’re doing” works well too.
4. Keep going strong!
Encouragement isn’t just for work-related achievements. For instance, if you’re helping a sick person who’s struggling to eat, and they’re making an effort, you can say “keep going strong” to motivate them.
5. Great job, keep it up!
Did they do something that would ordinarily have taken more than one hand to pull off? If yes, then this alternative is best to use.
6. Way to go
“Way to go” sounds more fun, and you can use it when addressing more than one person, appreciating and motivating them to put in more effort.
7. I’m very impressed by your progress
“I’m very impressed by your progress” is especially good as an alternative when the person surpasses your expectations. This works well for interns.
8. I wouldn’t have done that as much as you did
Sometimes, subtle self-depreciation is a good way to appreciate someone’s exceptional effort.
9. Your efforts are truly making a difference
Instead of telling the person they are doing a good job which is usually already obvious, focus on the difference that their good job is making on the team. That will have more impact.
10. Maintain the excellent performance
When praising someone, it’s helpful to remind them not to allow it to get into their head. So saying something like “maintain the excellent performance” can motivate them to keep going.
11. Don’t stop now, you’re doing fantastic!
Sometimes, people need to be reminded just how impressive they are doing. This realisation can give them a reason to further on.
12. Continue with your impressive performance
Sometimes, all it takes to sound more personal and genuine is to reword the sentence. Using words like “impressive” and “performance” instead of “good” and “job” can make all the difference.
13. You’re doing fantastic!
The best encouraging words don’t always have to end with a prompt for them to continue doing a good job. Just simply tell them they are doing fantastic.
14. Your approach is spot-on
Instead of focusing on their job which is something probably done by many other employees, focus on encouraging their intuition.
15. You’re a true asset
People may not realise you truly appreciate their efforts unless you tell them directly. Use positive phrases like calling them an “asset” to make them feel valued for their work.
16. Your work speaks volumes
Using figurative expressions can add depth to the message. So “Your work speaks volumes” will always make the person feel valued.
17. You’re a trailblazer
Use this alternative to encourage the person especially when they are bold enough to make a first move in the team that ends up profitable.
18. You leave a big shoe to fill
It’s always great to hear nice things about our performance. You can boost the person’s morale with this phrase instead of a bland “keep up the good work.”
19. Keep up the amazing work!
You may want to commend someone for their good work. But using the right adjective can make all the difference. So instead of “good” which sounds average, swap that with “amazing.”
20. Stay awesome!
“Stay awesome” works for a very casual setting when someone just informed you about what they’ve achieved and you want to give them a verbal “pat on the back”
21. We’re lucky to have you on our team
If you see the opportunity to let the employee realise how valuable they are, “keep up the good work” won’t work. Remind them of their importance in the team generally.
22. The results from your good job are speaking for themselves
Again, it has more impact when you focus on the impact of their good job, not just the job itself. It is encouraging for them to know that their work isn’t going unnoticed.
23. Keep doing what you’re doing
Maybe the job the person is doing isn’t really a big deal, but you want to say something to keep them going, then say “keep doing what you’re doing.”
24. You’re on the right track!
If you’ve noticed the person’s impressive efforts on the job, and you sense they are doubting their abilities or feeling less valued, remind them they are doing the right thing.
25. Keep it going!
This one works well when you’re trying to throw your weight behind someone as their supporter. For example, it works well when cheering a player in a game.
26. Great job, continue!
Another way you can tell someone to keep up with the good work they do is to keep it simple and tell them to continue.
27. You are making valuable contributions
This one will work best if you want to remind the person how important their work is. It naturally tells them that they shouldn’t stop.
28. Excellent effort, stay strong!
Sometimes, telling someone to keep up good work doesn’t always apply to performance in a job. It could be that they are healing from an injury and you’re encouraging them to continue.
29. Well done! Keep it going!
“Keep it going” is something you tell someone when you want to motivate them not to draw back on their effort. If they move from 0 to 100, this line will give them a sense to stay on guard..
30. You’re doing fantastic! Keep it up!
Again, this is when you’re using better adjectives to remind this person how impressed their work is.
31. Awesome work! Keep it going!
You can keep it short and simple by saying “awesome work.” It’s one thing to use good to describe someone’s effort, it’s another thing to call it awesome.
32. Bravo! Keep it up!
You’ll need the excitement in the tone to convey this one well. It works well for situations where you want to cheer them up.
33. Outstanding work! Keep it going!
When a work is outstanding, it means it’s exceptionally good. So it works well for when the employee does something that truly stands out from others’ output.
34. Excellent job! Keep it up!
If you want someone to continue to do or maintain something, such as a work rate, you can use “excellent job.” The interesting thing about this option is that you can use it as a sarcasm for when someone does something not great too.
35. Fantastic performance, carry on!
“Carry on” is another better synonym for “keep it up” . The whole idea of using this alternative is if you want to sound unique.
36. You’re doing great!
You want to keep things simple without still sounding generic? Just tell the person “you’re doing great” But it helps to add more specific detail about what you’re applauding them for.
37. Let’s keep the momentum going
If you want to sound a little more sophisticated, the word “momentum” can replace “work” because it talks more about progress.
38. Keep up the great effort!
You can rearrange the wordings of “keep up the good work” by saying “keep up the great effort.” The word “effort” makes your praise more intentional.
39. The outcomes from this work are nothing short of excellent
“The outcomes from this work are nothing short of excellent” sounds more intellectual than a mere “keep up the good work”. This helps to add more depth to your compliment.
40. Keep rocking it!
This one is a slag so it may not work for all situations—only informal ones. But, it means when someone is giving their all to whatever they do.
41. You’re making great progress!
Another creative way to tell someone to keep up the good work they are doing is to remind them they are making great progress.
42. Superb work! Keep it going!
Superb is a word you tell someone when they do something that is impressively splendid. That’s why it works well for replacing “good job”
43. Impressive work! Keep it up!
Instead of just saying good work, let the person know that you’re impressed. This is a way to boost their morale and encourage them to do more.
44. Terrific job! Keep it going!
Terrific is an adjective to describe something of great size, amount, or intensity. So apply this to a person’s performance and you’d realise it’s a special way to applaud them.
45. Your dedication has not gone unnoticed
At the core of appreciating someone’s effort and motivating them to do more is simply letting them know that what they’ve done isn’t ignored.
46. Maintain this momentum
You can sound poetic by using this response which is filled with clever alliteration—maintain and momentum.
47. We admire the good job you’re doing
Another smart way to encourage someone for the good work they do is to remind them that it is being admired. This is very helpful when it comes from supervisors.
48. Keep it up
Keep it up may sound bland with no emotion and does not connect on a personal level. But that’s the whole point. It’s versatile to be used in all situations. Just add an extra sentence to specify why you want them to keep it up.
49. Fantastic work!
Not all words of encouragement have to include a prompt for them to keep going. Simply calling their work fantastic is a subtle way to encourage them to continue.
50. I appreciate all your hard work
If you want to connect with the employee or student on a personal level as you encourage them, then start with “I” This allows you to show them how you feel about their efforts.
Wrapping Up
Generally, using the same cliché phrases for encouragement can seem insincere.
If an employee hears you tell two coworkers “keep up the good work” before saying it to them, they might not take it as seriously.
That’s why it’s helpful to save this post for later, so you can have plenty of options to choose from and start working them into your everyday conversations.
