Reinforce Positive Behavior – How to Give and Receive a Compliment
Once we start coaching our team, we want to consistently reinforce positive behavior that we see. The best way to reinforce positive behavior is with a strength-centered compliment. In this session, we will show you, step-by-step, how to give and receive a compliment. This single skill is something that can absolutely set you apart from other leaders. It is also a valuable way to build more of a team culture within your organization. Bad Managers Reinforce Negative Behavior. Great Leaders Reinforce Positive Behavior. I hate to start in the negative, but it is important to set the stage as to why this skill is so valuable today. Most managers think of their role as being a “fixer.” What I mean is that most managers have trained themselves to look for problems and then go fix them. The big challenge here, though, is that a problem has to exist before the manager has a role. If he or she doesn’t see a problem, they just look harder until they find one. Good coaches and leaders, however, look for positive behavior. Then they reinforce that positive behavior so that they get more of it. For instance, John Wooden, the famous UCLA basketball coach had an incredible career. His team won the NCAA championship 10 times in 12 years, had four perfect 30-0 seasons, and at one time, had a record 88 game win streak. One of the secrets to his success was creating a phenomenal “reserve team.” Coach Wooden decided that he would have more success if he limited playing time to just seven or eight players. That meant that his reserves (his bench) were not likely to ever see any playing time in an actual game. Coach Wooden, knowing how frustrating his method was to these reserves, used a different coaching style for them. He knew that his regulars received positive feedback from the crowds and the media. The reserves didn’t receive that affirmation, though. So, he made a conscious effort to constantly tell the reserves about the value they brought to the team. (Gallimore and Tharp.) Did it work? The praise caused the reserves to work harder which made the regulars better. Bill Walton once said that actual games seemed slow because the pace of practice was so much faster. Sincere Compliments Are Needed to Build Confidence.For full show notes, go to https://www.leadersinstitute.com/reinforce-positive-behavior-how-to-give-and-receive-a-compliment/
