Ignored and in silence, rice and water turn murky and rancid over time. The same is true of employees.
Tag: Positive Reinforcement
Are You a Predictable Leader?
Some events are very predictable.When I was a kid, one of the surest signs that I was ready to catch some grief from my mom was her not-so-subtle inclusion of my middle name when she summoned me. When I was in school, I could usually tell I was in trouble when the teacher would add the formal-sounding “Mister” in front of my last name. In the history dating, the phrase “We have to talk” has never signaled the beginning of a big, fat, happy surprise. And if you’re a manager, if the first though an employee has when you call for a one-on-one meeting is, “Crap. I’m in trouble”… there’s a good chance that you’re a BOSS, not a LEADER.
Negative or Positive Engagement: What’s More Effective?
Tricks work. You can manipulate or scare people into action. But that’s being pragmatic without being principled. And besides, you can achieve so much more when you are the sunlight. What can you do ? Try these 3 simple tips today to actively and positively engage your people…
Positive Reinforcement: Maximizing Performance
Behaviors produce one of four consequences, two that diminish and two that increase the frequency of the behavior they follow. Punishment and extinction make behaviors go away; negative and positive reinforcement make behaviors increase. RECAP. At home, you might provide punishment to your kids by sending them to bed early, grounding them, taking away TV…
To Kill a Hummingbird…
No, this is not a HOW TO post about killing off hummingbirds. However, I read that hummingbirds can be accidentally killed off by bird lovers who lack common sense or the willingness to read the fine print on the recipe for making nectar for their hummingbird feeders. Here is something that wannabe hummingbird friends need…
Motivating Cats…and Employees
I have three cats. Okay, don’t stop reading. I’m actually a dog person. But I’m not going to agree that all cats should end up as oven mitts, even though that does provide a rather practical answer to the question, “What’s a cat good for, anyway?” Back to my story. Each day at the same…
Michael Scott as Manager: How Do You Compare? (Part 1)
THE OFFICE is one of the few TV shows that I watch regularly. The setting, Dunder Mifflin, is fictitious, yet familiar. The writing is crisp. The actors are first-rate. The filming is creative. But I watch it for one reason alone: the character, Michael Scott. What can be learned from him? Positive Reinforcement (R+) is…