Reinforcement – How Will You Impact Your Talent?
This is my puppy Lexi, a 7 month old Belgian Tervuren. As you can see from her nose, she’s been doing some gardening. Since joining our family she has learned a lot, but as a puppy Lexi still needs to mature and she still has some behaviors that need correcting. Without training she would still be a sweet dog, but the things she does wrong would go unchecked and her positive behavior would not be encouraged enough. In training Lexi, or any dog, you can use a variety of different learning methods but they pretty much boil down to positive or negative reinforcement.
Right now we are working with Lexi on being more sociable when out walking. If Lexi barks at another dog I could yank her leash and scold her. However that is going to increase her excitement and make her fearful. Instead I’m trying the bribery route. hen we are approaching others she gets a quick succession of treats, distracting her from barking at other dogs and sending the message that good things happen when she sees another dog. So far it is working and she’s showing less attitude on our walks. With the right encouragement the right behavior will become natural for Lexi.
There are similar considerations when looking at how an organization treats its people. This isn’t saying that people are dogs or that workers can be hit with rolled up newspapers. It is saying that the tone adopted in a company’s communication with workers is a defining element of its corporate culture. Company policies that focus more on punitive measures for bad behaviors send one kind of message. We’ll turn to a clip from The Hudsucker Proxy (a vastly underrated film) for their take on orientation. While this is broad satire, there are companies out there that speak first with the stick rather than the carrot.
Does reinforcing negative consequences produce results? Sure, but it can also unintendedly imply that leadership expects the worse from employees, that behavioral problems are chronic, and that the first instinct is to go negative. This doesn’t mean issues like discrimination or harassment should not be covered – clear and firm policies against them are a must – but tone and content matter.
When crafting policies and communications, management should step back and approach the subject from the employee’s perspective. Is the message going to make staff flinch and reinforce the negative or will it use positive reinforcement to guide employees to the desired outcome? Positive reinforcement can be as simple as acknowledging successes and calling out correct behavior. Employees that feel engaged and valued are much more likely to contribute to a company that those looking to make it to quitting time without drawing unwelcome attention.
When crafting your policies, handbook, and communications, how do you want to reinforce your message?
