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Principles of Positive Reinforcement

WHAT IS POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT?

The best way to define positive reinforcement is with some examples. Positive reinforcement comprises all of the following:

• When your son finishes a meal, clears his dishes, and puts the dishes in the dishwasher, you say to him, "Thank you for cleaning up after yourself. I really appreciate it."
• Looking your assistant in the eyes and saying, "You did such a good job on this report. Thank you for working so hard on it and meeting the deadline with plenty of time to spare."
• Waving and smiling to another driver after she lets you into a line of traffic.
• Writing a note to your mother-in-law after she cooked a delicious Thanksgiving dinner for you and your family.
• When your daughter brings home grades that were higher than her goal, you write her a note that says, "Congratulations. I am very proud of your hard work."
• Leaving a 20 percent tip when a server does an especially good job of serving you.

Positive reinforcement is saying or doing something that will encourage a person to repeat a behavior. It is the opposite of punishment, which is providing a consequence that discourages a person from repeating a behavior.

People want and need to be appreciated for their efforts. There are few things more motivating than a pat on the back or a few words of appreciation from those in charge. Conversely, it is demotivating and demoralizing when basic appreciation and recognition are missing from a work or personal relationship. Since something so powerful takes so little effort and costs nothing, it is hard to understand why more people don’t take advantage of it both at home and in the workplace.

HOW CAN I USE POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT?

You can positively reinforce people in countless ways. Here are some examples to stimulate your imagination:

Person	Situation	Ideas for positive reinforcement
Your Spouse	Has a difficult time at work	Hug him/her and say, "I’m so happy you made it through this week. I know how hard it’s been for you. You’ve been working very hard.
	Buys you a nice birthday present	Say, "Thank you so much for remembering me with such a perfect gift. It makes me feel very special."
	Cooks you a delicious dinner	Say, "This was a delicious dinner. Thank you so much for taking the time to make it special. Now I’ll clean up while you relax.
Your coworker	Volunteers to work so you can take a 3-day weekend	Say, "Thank you."
		Send a thank you card.
		Bring a memento from your vacation when you return.
	Completes a project that results in more sales for you business unit	Say, "Thank you."
		Make a sign to put up over his/her desk.
		Tell others about the accomplishment in his/her presence.
Your child	Gets a part in the school play	Tell him/her how proud you are.
		Take pictures of the event and send them to relatives and friends.
	Cleans up his/her room without being asked	Tell him or her how pleased you are.
		Offer to take him/her out for a special treat.

   

WHAT ARE THE GUIDELINES FOR USING POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT?

Whether it’s at home or at work, using the following few simple guidelines for positive reinforcement will help you maximize its effectiveness:

• Be specific in your praise. Say what you are recognizing and why it is significant. Instead of saying to your daughter, "You always do such good work," say instead, "You got your book report done one day early and it follows the assignment guidelines exactly. Good job." Your daughter will know exactly why you are praising her, and she will be more likely to do the same thing next time.
• Praise right away. Don’t wait a day or a week to thank someone for a job well done. The closer the behavior is to its positive consequence, the more meaning it will have for the person being reinforced.
• Praise publicly. Let’s take a work example. When Susan, your assistant, finishes the spreadsheet on the markdown project, you can post a note for all to see on the employee bulletin board, saying, "Susan, great job finishing the markdown project one day early."

• Be on the lookout for reasons to compliment. You don’t want to overdo it so that your praise becomes meaningless, but there is no reason to hold back on praise when it is deserved.
• At home, have a short list of behaviors that you want your children to demonstrate. These behaviors might include cleaning up after themselves, doing homework promptly, and answering the phone politely. Tell your children that you expect them to demonstrate these behaviors, and reinforce them when they do. The reinforcement could be saying "good job" after the job is completed or giving the thumbs up sign. You can do the same thing at work with the people you supervise.
• Do something special. Bake cookies or a cake for your child’s teachers when they do something out of the ordinary for your child, such as patiently helping him/her learn a difficult concept or arranging for special help when it’s needed. When your team at work accomplishes something special, you can do this for them too.

 

WHERE CAN I GO FOR MORE INFORMATION?

Nelson, Bob. 1001 Ways to Reward Employees. New York: Workman Publishing, 1994.

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