Are You Rewarding Bad Behavior?
I received some advice recently from my dog trainer after I shared my frustrations about one of the things that my puppy does that annoys me. The trainer pointed out that my puppy kept engaging in certain behaviors because, unknowingly, I was rewarding him with attention.
This got me thinking about how it translates to my clients. Often, I hear from clients frustrated with their direct reports for not taking the initiative or missing key responsibilities. When I ask if they’ve addressed the issue directly, the response is often, “Well, I haven’t talked to them about it. But they should know.” However, employees, like anyone else, tend to repeat behaviors that go unchallenged or, worse, are indirectly rewarded—such as less responsibility or less work.
When managing a team, it’s important to give consistent messages and share regular, constructive feedback. If not, your direct reports may see their current behavior as acceptable or even beneficial, if the reward is less work or fewer responsibilities.
So next time that you are frustrated with a direct report and think, “Oh, it’s just not even worth it to talk about,” – think again and consider what behaviors you’re unintentionally rewarding.
Read more: Giving Feedback: What I learned from puppy training
