When you make the 365 Commitment, you’ll need to use every trick in the book to stay on track. What book am I referring to here? The psychology book of course, in particular, behavioral psychology. B.F. Skinner, a famous and influential behavioral psychologist, trained animals to to amazing tricks using reward. This is the positive side of behavior training, punishment is the alternative, which I’ll leave aside for another blog.
Reward works, so why not use it to train ourselves and those we love. Wouldn’t the world be better if people did more of what we want them to do? Wouldn’t we be better if we did more of what we should do?
If someone does something you like, reward them! Do it right away. It is not the time for a victory lap, gloating, or grudge holding. No, it’s the time to reward them. The trick is not too much or too little. Sometimes, just a smile and some attention is all that is required , especially for kids, but for anybody really.
Once I worked at a happening night spot in Seattle, famous people would come in regularly and we were very VERY busy serving food an drink. I had a boss/floor manager who was all about criticism. He never said anything positive – no verbal reward, no tangible rewards either. One day, after doing a great job, we had finished prepping the restaurant for the evening and I was almost laughing internally at his nit-picking criticisms and complaints of other workers; I sincerely pressed him on this behavior. I suggested he try saying something positive and encouraging when people did a good job, he looked at me with complete incredulity. Without irony or a hint of self-awareness he said, “Why would I reward somebody for doing their job?” “That is what they are getting paid.”
I thought, “how (in the hell) do people like this get into positions of power?!” He was clueless to the crappy work environment he managed to create (pun intended). I explained to him that people responded to positive verbal reward and it would improve performance, not to mention the atmosphere. He did not appreciate or grasp my management consulting advice. You (dear reader) on the other hand, can benefit from the wisdom my former manager eschewed . . . because he was an idiot, . . . . and you are likely not.
So, you have some tasks to complete and some habits to keep today. Consider what might be a reward you would like. I wanted some fish and chips the other day. I was tired, and it was getting toward the end of the day, and I was at risk of not completing my habit of pull-ups. So I made a deal with myself. Complete 50 pull-ups and you can get fish and chips. Those pull-ups sucked, but it was nice to get the fish n chips!
Pay attention and reward yourself and others around you. Not too much and not to little, just consistently, and watch their behavior (and yours) change for the better over time.
Ben Wagner (146)
Member The 365 Commitment
aying someand punishment.
