Notes from In Search of Excellence
Tom Peters & Robert Waterman Jr
POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT
- Negative reinforcement will produce behavioral change, but often in temporary and undesirable ways. Positive reinforcement causes long-term behavioral change in the intended direction.
- Reinforcement must be specific, with detailed information on the act that deserved praise.
- Reinforcement should be immediate.
- What is being reinforced must be achievable—the system should reward small wins. Good-news swapping is common in excellent companies.
- Intangible reinforcements, such as recognition from top management, are powerful incentives.
- Frequent small rewards are more effective than rare large ones. Big bonuses often become political. The small reward, the symbolic one, is a cause for celebration, not a cause for envy.
- The manner in which a reinforcement is applied is more important than the magnitude.
INTRINSIC MOTIVATION
- While external motivation produces better performance, it is self-motivation that yields the highest performance.
- Lasting commitment to a habit, a value, or an organization comes from a person’s belief that it is inherently worthwhile.
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