JUNE 28

“Other things being equal, the more immediate the reinforcement, the more powerful it is in terms of strengthening behavior.”

—Paul L.Brown, Managing Behavior on the Job

MAKE A BIG SPLASH (QUICK!)

In a scene in the Walt Disney film Peter Pan, Wendy is forced to walk the plank. As she resolutely leaps from the plank, the pirates listen expectantly for a splash—that never comes.

“No splash!” they cry in shock and panic. “There wasn’t any splash!” (Of course, unbeknownst to them, Wendy had been scooped up by Peter Pan and carried to safety.)

The moral: If you’re planning to offer recognition, make sure it closely follows the behavior you’re recognizing. Your employees are waiting for the splash—your reaction and appreciation. Don’t disappoint.