SUMMARY: When a person receives something s/he likes as a result of something s/he has done, s/he will likely repeat whatever s/he did that resulted in getting that something s/he liked. This is validated by over a half-century of behavioral research and is now considered to be a fact. (And common sense confirms it, too.) This process of giving someone something they like as a consequence for something they've done is called reinforcement. However, not all reinforcement has the same effect — the impact can vary depending upon HOW it's delivered. This article describes how to deliver verbal reinforcement — arguably one of the most powerful of all motivators — for maximum motivating impact. (For a captivating review of the top 10 motivators of excellent team member performance, see Motivation-creator.)

We all know that when we get something we like as a result of something we've done, we tend to repeat what we did in anticipation of getting more of what we like. So, if we want to motivate a person or group to continue a particular type of performance, one way of doing that is to give them something they like as a consequence of doing what they did. This process of giving someone something they like as a consequence for a particular type of performance is known as reinforcement, often called positive reinforcement (not to be confused with an incentive, which is a promise to do “A” if a person does “B”). That “something they like” is known as a reinforcer, sometimes called a reward. One of the most powerful types of reinforcers in the workplace is Recognition, Appreciation, and Praise — or RAP, for short.

Although similar, there's a slight distinction between these three things:

Recognition = Awareness and approval of something we've done.

Appreciation = Thanks for doing it.

Praise = Commendation for doing it exceptionally well.

Receiving any one of the three is gratifying to most of us. However, it's possible to combine all three for maximum impact. Here's an example: “I noticed what you just did (recognition). That's exceptional work (praise). Thanks a lot (appreciation).”

Humans very much enjoy receiving RAP. For many of us it's our biggest motivator at work or, at the least, second only to cash.

Unfortunately, as powerful as RAP is, many leaders and managers use it sparingly. The reason they give for doing so is: “Team members already get too much praise … and if I praise them before they achieve the goal (i.e., before they perform a complete act of Desired Performance), they'll get de-motivated and stop working toward the goal.”

As logical-sounding as this reasoning might appear, it's actually incorrect. To prove it, simply approach any group of workers — salaried or hourly, leadership or non-leadership — and say the following: "Would everyone here who has been receiving too much praise from their boss please raise your hand." No one ever raises their hand. Because no one anywhere believes that s/he is receiving too much sincere recognition, appreciation, and praise from their supervisor or the company.

As powerful as RAP is, it's degree of impact depends on HOW its delivered. Here's the “secret formula” to getting optimal results from positive reinforcement.

For maximum motivational impact, make your RAP:

SINCERE. Mean what you say and say only what you mean. If you don't believe it, don't say it because the other person will invariably sense that you're lying. This is Rule #1 for delivering effective RAP, because lying is a form of disrespect and disrespect is a de-motivator. Which means, insincere RAP is worse than no RAP at all. (Note: Whenever the rare instance occurs where someone says s/he's getting too much positive reinforcement, what s/he's probably referring to is too many insincere compliments— a.k.a. flattery and BS.)

SPECIFIC. Tell the person exactly what s/he did that you liked — meaning, the specific actions or outcomes that earned him or her the RAP. “Generalized RAP” can sound like BS, and that's not good.

IMMEDIATE. Deliver RAP as soon as possible after spotting the right action. The longer the delay, the smaller the impact will be on motivating repeat performance.

FREQUENT. Don't be stingy with it. Every step forward — every act of personal progress or performance improvement — deserves some RAP. Don't wait until the Final Goal is accomplished to dispense positive reinforcement ... or the Final Goal may never get achieved.

PERSONALIZED AND INDIVIDUALIZED. Use your own words and style — express how you feel as opposed to how the company or “management” feels. And when delivering RAP to a group, try to give it to individuals, as well.

VARIED AND RANDOM. Avoid saying the same thing every time you give praise. Also, avoid praising the same team member for the same thing at the same time every day. “Routinized RAP” smacks of insincerity. And, as we've said, insincere-sounding RAP is worse than no RAP at all. So make your RAP creative and spontaneous.

SEPARATE FROM CRITICISM. Don't combine criticism with RAP. Doing so reduces the enjoyment and motivating impact of the RAP for the team member. Give any criticism and “bad news” at another time.

OCCASIONALLY COMBINE WITH A TANGIBLE REWARD. For extra impact in special situations, give a “token of your appreciation” along with the RAP. Use this for spot-lighting right actions that are extra-important and that you want a team member to definitely repeat. The reward need not be expensive — a movie ticket, $5 gift certificate, or even just a $1.00 coin are examples. Note: The purpose of the reward is to express your appreciation, not to replace it. So keep the focus on your appreciation as opposed to the object.

Deliver RAP in this way, and you'll greatly multiply the motivating impact of positive reinforcement.

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This article was authored by John Correll.
Response may be directed to john@correllconcepts.com.