Bringing Out the Best in People

1. Behavior is a function of its consequences

People do what they do because of what happens to them when they do it.

ABC model of behavior. The Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence (ABC) model is fundamental to understanding and changing behavior. Antecedents set the stage for behavior, but consequences determine whether the behavior will be repeated. This applies to all human behavior, from simple daily tasks to complex workplace performance.

Four types of consequences. There are only four types of behavioral consequences:

• Positive reinforcement: Increases behavior by adding something desirable
• Negative reinforcement: Increases behavior by removing something undesirable
• Punishment: Decreases behavior by adding something undesirable
• Penalty: Decreases behavior by removing something desirable

Understanding these consequences allows managers to effectively shape behavior and improve performance. The key is to focus on reinforcing desired behaviors rather than solely punishing undesired ones.

2. Positive reinforcement is the key to maximizing performance

Discretionary effort is like loose change in employees' pockets. It is management's job to get them to want to spend it all every day.

Capturing discretionary effort. Positive reinforcement is the only way to consistently motivate employees to give their best effort voluntarily. Unlike other consequences, it accelerates behavior and leads to continuous improvement. Managers should strive to create an environment where positive reinforcement occurs naturally and frequently.

Effective delivery of reinforcement. To maximize the impact of positive reinforcement:

• Ensure the reinforcer is valued by the recipient
• Make it contingent on specific behaviors or results
• Deliver it immediately after the desired behavior
• Provide it frequently, especially when shaping new behaviors

Common mistakes in reinforcement include assuming what others find reinforcing, making rewards non-contingent on performance, delaying delivery, and providing reinforcement too infrequently. Avoiding these pitfalls dramatically increases the effectiveness of positive reinforcement.

3. Negative reinforcement and punishment limit potential

The high price of negative reinforcement.

Limitations of negative approaches. While negative reinforcement and punishment can increase or decrease behavior, they come with significant drawbacks. Negative reinforcement typically leads to performers doing just enough to avoid consequences, rather than striving for excellence. Punishment often results in unintended side effects like resentment, avoidance, and decreased morale.

Creating a positive environment. Instead of relying on negative consequences, managers should focus on:

• Identifying and reinforcing desired behaviors
• Providing clear expectations and feedback
• Celebrating small improvements and milestones
• Fostering a culture of trust and open communication

By shifting from a punitive to a reinforcing approach, organizations can unlock their employees' full potential and create a more engaged, productive workforce.

4. Effective feedback accelerates improvement

Feedback shows a performer where current performance is in relation to past performance and usually some goal.

Characteristics of effective feedback. To drive continuous improvement, feedback should be:

• Specific and actionable
• Timely and frequent
• Based on observable behaviors or measurable results
• Presented in a clear, visual format (e.g., graphs)

Graphical feedback is particularly powerful as it allows performers to quickly see trends and progress toward goals. Daily or weekly feedback intervals are generally more effective than monthly or quarterly reviews.

Combining feedback with reinforcement. While feedback alone can temporarily boost performance, sustained improvement requires pairing feedback with positive reinforcement. When employees consistently receive recognition and rewards for progress, they become motivated to continually seek out and act on feedback, creating a virtuous cycle of improvement.

5. Goal-setting should increase opportunities for reinforcement

The best mistake to make in goal setting is to set the goals too low.

Rethinking traditional goal-setting. Many organizations set challenging "stretch" goals, believing they motivate higher performance. However, this approach often backfires, leading to frustration and demotivation when goals are consistently missed. Instead, goals should be set to maximize opportunities for positive reinforcement.

Effective goal-setting principles:

• Set multiple, smaller goals rather than a few large ones
• Make initial goals easily attainable to build momentum
• Gradually increase difficulty as performance improves
• Celebrate every goal achievement, no matter how small
• Allow all performers to progress at their own pace

By following these principles, organizations create an environment where employees are constantly motivated by frequent successes and recognition, leading to sustained high performance over time.

6. Compensation and appraisal systems often hinder performance

Apart from documentation for legal purposes, the annual performance appraisal is a waste of time.

Problems with traditional systems. Many common compensation and appraisal practices inadvertently demotivate employees and hinder performance:

• Forced ranking and bell curve distributions
• Infrequent feedback (e.g., annual reviews)
• Non-contingent bonuses or profit-sharing
• Competitive reward structures

These approaches often feel arbitrary, create internal competition, and fail to reinforce desired behaviors consistently.

Performance matrix alternative. A more effective approach is to use a performance matrix that:

• Clearly defines expected results and behaviors
• Allows for frequent measurement and feedback
• Ties rewards directly to individual performance
• Enables customization for different roles and priorities

By adopting a more dynamic, reinforcement-based system, organizations can align compensation and appraisal practices with the principles of effective performance management.

7. Employee engagement stems from leadership, not employees

If employees are not engaged, it is a leadership problem. Nothing more, nothing less!

Shifting the responsibility. Many engagement initiatives focus on changing employee attitudes or behaviors. However, true engagement is a result of the work environment created by leadership. Managers must take full responsibility for creating conditions that naturally foster engagement.

Keys to fostering engagement:

• Ask for and act on employee input regularly
• Provide frequent positive reinforcement for desired behaviors
• Ensure systems and structures support, not hinder, engagement
• Model engaged behavior as a leader
• Create meaningful work with clear connections to organizational goals

By focusing on these leadership behaviors and organizational factors, rather than trying to "fix" employees, organizations can dramatically improve engagement levels and unlock discretionary effort.

8. Technology changes behavior, and behavior changes technology

Technology changes behavior, and ultimately behavior changes technology as problems that people have with the technology lead to modification of the software and hardware.

Integrating behavior science and technology. As technology rapidly advances, it's crucial to consider its behavioral impacts during the design phase. Understanding principles of reinforcement can help predict and prevent unintended consequences (e.g., texting while driving) and create more user-friendly, effective technologies.

Addressing technology-induced challenges:

• Low reinforcement in monitoring tasks
• Increased distractions and off-task behavior
• Rapid skill obsolescence requiring constant retraining

Organizations must proactively address these challenges by designing work environments and training programs that maintain high levels of engagement and reinforcement, even as tasks become more automated and technology-driven.

9. Fluency-based learning dramatically accelerates skill acquisition

Dr. Kent Johnson, founder of Morningside Academy, estimates that core academic content from kindergarten through the twelfth grade could be taught easily in six years.

Principles of fluency-based learning:

• Focus on high rates of active responding
• Provide immediate feedback on performance
• Aim for automaticity (quick, effortless performance)
• Practice to high performance criteria, not just passing grades

Fluency-based methods have shown remarkable results in both academic and business settings, often reducing training time by 50-80% while improving retention and skill application.

Implementing fluency-based training:

• Break skills into small, measurable components
• Use technology to enable high-frequency practice
• Set specific fluency goals (e.g., responses per minute)
• Continuously measure and graph progress
• Reinforce improvement and goal achievement

By adopting these principles, organizations can dramatically improve the speed and effectiveness of employee skill development, creating a more agile and competent workforce.

Last updated: March 21, 2025