Focus on the Positives to Get Positive Results: Using Behavioral Science to Get Off the Safety Plateau

In our December article, we described why people do what they do in terms of events that come before behavior (antecedents that direct) and events that come after behavior (consequences that motivate). The active ingredient is the consequence and people will behave either to avoid unpleasant consequences or to receive pleasant consequences. Given this analysis, enforcement can be seen as an antecedent-consequence relationship we call a threat (antecedent) of a penalty (consequence) given some behavior that we don’t want to occur. This will work, but generally produces only the minimum behavior necessary to avoid the penalty. We call this compliance.

Compliance is exemplified by the fact that the threat of a ticket for speeding does not motivate us to drive the speed limit, but rather just under the threshold for getting the ticket (often 9 mph above the speed limit!). So, although some control is produced, we don’t tap into what behavioral scientists call “discretionary behavior” (the potential for improvement represented by the 9 mph liberty we often take). Additionally, a characteristic of enforcement is that compliance often occurs only when the threat of the penalty is imminent (e.g., when we see the police officer parked on the side of the highway with a radar gun pointed in our direction). I believe an over-reliance on enforcement at the expense of recognizing good behaviors is a major contributor to the “safety plateau.” Additionally, if we don’t acknowledge the good things people do and always point out their failings, we create people who don’t feel good about themselves and who are less motivated in general.

To avoid these problems when managing people, we must learn to use positive-focused consequence management. That is, we need to create an antecedent-consequence relationship that is a promise (antecedent) of recognition (consequence) for good behavior (i.e., behavior we want to occur again). When the application of the positive consequence results in an increase in the behavior that produces it, we call the process positive reinforcement and the consequence a reinforcer. Reinforcers can be either social (e.g., a thank you) or material (tangible rewards, money, etc.).

To understand reinforcement you must realize that it is defined by its effect on increasing behavior. In contrast, rewards may be seen as pleasant, but may not necessarily produce the behavior change we are seeking. An advantage of positive reinforcement is that it helps us tap into the range of discretionary behavior that enforcement does not, and also produces more enduring behavior change (and behavior that occurs even when the “enforcer” or reinforcer is not present). Put simply, positive reinforcement helps people to feel better about themselves and jump starts the “internal motivation system”—the ability of people to self-reward. This is the core of building responsibility or self-accountability. Personal responsibility is the key to getting off the safety plateau.

The most common mistakes that people make when trying to reinforce behavior include failing to identify effective reinforcers. Also, if they have identified a consequence that will serve as a reinforcer, they likely don't use it often enough or soon enough after behavior. Finally, people fail to create a dependency between the behavior they want to increase and the positive consequence. So, to jump start personal responsibility in your organization, first identify reinforcers that can be used frequently and immediately. Also be sure to create a clear relationship between the behavior you want to reinforce and the positive consequence you use to reinforce it. Next month I will describe a successful application of reinforcement in industry that will help you to apply positive consequences more effectively. Until then, look for the good things people are doing and tell them right away that you appreciate it when they do that. They will perform those behaviors more often.