Teaching Problem Solving Skills to Teenagers

In 2016, I presented at an ABAI symposium in Chicago.  I was recently going through my old research, and came across this study I completed: "Teaching Problem Solving Skills to Teenagers Diagnosed with Autism," and I thought it would be helpful to share the results, so as to hopefully help parents and educators when targeting skills to teach teenagers diagnosed with developmental disabilities.

"Teaching Problem Solving Skills to Teenagers Diagnosed with Autism"

For many teenagers diagnosed with autism, problem solving can be a complex skill to teach.  Research indicates that using video modeling can be successful when teaching children with autism skills such as reciprocal conversation and play, but few studies address video modeling to teach problem solving skills (Charlop-Christie & Milstein (1989) ; Charlop, etc. al. (2000)).  Bellini and Akullian (2007) completed meta-analysis of video modeling studies, finding many studies supported video modeling.

During the intervention phases, video modeling was introduced for each step of a problem solving task analysis in using the phone to call a parent for help, then faded as participants demonstrated the skill independently. We then focused on generalization of skills from direct instruction, in contrived scenarios with parent participation, throughout the participants’ day where they would need to call their parent for help.  

For all participants, maintenance probes were completed one year after the initial training.  Following intervention, all three participants completed 100% of the problem solving task analysis independently.  One year later, two out of three participants maintained the skill at 100% of the task analysis. 

Results:

For additional strategies on teaching transition skills to students, please see our eWorkbook: Transition to Adulthood Series: Supports and Services!

References

•Charlop, M. H., & Milstein, J. P. (1989). Teaching autistic children conversational speech using video modeling. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 22, 275–285

•Charlop, M.H., Le, L., & Freeman, K. (2000). A comparison of video modeling with in vivo modeling for teaching children with autism.  Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 30(6), 537-552

•Bellini, S., & Akullian, J (2007). A meta-analysis of video modeling and video self-modeling interventions for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders . Exceptional Children, 73, 261-284

•Collins, S., Higbee, T., & Salzberg, C. (2009). The effects of video modeling on staff implementation of a problem solving intervention with adults with developmental disabilities.  Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 42(2), 849-854

 

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Four Strategies When Holding 1-on-1s

By: Daniel Soeiro Sanches, Guest Post

www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-sanches-ab56a52

I took quite some time until I found out how 1:1's would work out well for me and my team--it actually took me a year. When I look back and think about what has actually helped me in having constructive 1:1's, I have 4 points that I follow:

1) One Size Doesn't Fit All

People are so different from each other and have so many different interests and ambitions (personal and professional) that even though you might standardise on a template or a series of questions, the most important is that over time you understand how to get each person talking which will be unique.

2) Understand Why You Need to Have 1:1’s

Across the different types of people that I have managed, driven by their uniqueness in styles and background I have found out extremely useful to understand why I need to have 1:1's. The most frequent whys that I have discovered are: 1) a need for coaching; 2) a need for getting up to speed on the small details that are not talked in the drumbeat team meetings; 3) provide a safe environment for feedback and discussion and any other topics that could be affecting performance; and 4) provide a time slot to discuss career and ambitions.

3) Good Quality 1:1's Require Preparation

This can be done via a template, but what I typically do to make sure there is always something to discuss is: 1) note down three to four things concerning the person's work that I want to know more about; 2) note down specific feedback from the past week/weeks (and this alternates between feedback on how to improve, and recognition for work completed); and 3) always request feedback on something I may have done over the past time period since we last talked.

4) Some 1:1's Should Be Strategic On a Quarterly Basis

I always ask my reportee to review her/his workplace and provide me with an overview of the results achieved to date and whether they are on track/off track. This provides room for discussion, open and honest feedback and typically also supports my building of a story for the person when the performance review time comes up. It also makes sure both of us are up to speed.

For more information and to connect with Daniel, please see his LinkedIn Profile:  www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-sanches-ab56a52

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Three Questions to Ask When Creating a Mission Statement

Simon Sinek, in his book, Start With Why, makes it clear that leaders must ask the correct questions when guiding their teams.  Sinek believes that this question is "Why--" to determine why the team exists, and their purpose.

This purpose can be summed up in a mission statement.  From a larger company level, or a specific team level, all teams need to have a mission statement to guide their work.  Though Sinek makes a compelling argument to "Start with Why," I feel that there are actually three questions we must ask when we are creating the mission statement for our team: 1) Who, 2) What, and 3) Why.

1) Who

The "who" is important because it describes who is responsible for carrying out the mission of the company or the team.  It is helpful to list this out from a broad (company) perspective, but also at a specific team level, so that all can adopt the mission statement as part of company or team culture.

2) What

The "what" specifies what the company or team will be doing on a day to day basis.  This can describe from a broader sense what it is the company does, or from a team level the work the team accomplishes.

3) Why

The "why" is the third question teams should ask when creating the mission statement.  The "why" describes the purpose of the organization, and why the team exists.  This is the goal of the organization or team.

By answering these three questions, we can create mission statements that unifies our team to actions that accomplish our larger goals.

For more strategies on creating mission statements, see our eWorkbook: How to Create A Mission Statement.

References:

Sinek, Simon. Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. New York: Portfolio / Penguin, 2011.

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How to Create a Culture of Openness During Transition (Parents/Educators)

Transition times are always difficult for parents, teachers, and students.  The most salient transition time period (at least in the United States) are the years between 14-21 for special education students.  During this time, school districts are legally required to begin the transition process, and to start the dialogue and programming for transition goals.

Unfortunately during this time, students may have many different support systems and providers in place, and parents and educators can be overwhelmed with streamlining communication between these systems.  Often, some supports providers are invited to key planning meetings, while others are left out of the loop, either by design or by mistake, creating confusion in the midst of a difficult time period.  In more instances than not, the student is not part of these meetings, and is left out of the decision making process, even though the team is planning for their transition to adulthood.

In his article (2016), "Integrating Organizational-Cultural Values With Performance Management," Carl Binder discusses a process of creating a culture of "openness" on decision making.  By creating a culture of openness, the team can focus, as a whole, on discussing the value of all of the opinions in the room during a planning meeting (including the student's in whatever mode they are able to communicate).  The individual student should be the center of this meeting, as it is their adult life that the team is planning.  From personal experience, when working with teams that have this culture of openness, decisions are able to be made in a streamlined fashion, and priorities are able to be accomplished more quickly than when there is a culture of safeguarding information.

Ultimately, this is an exciting time for the student's life and it should be celebrated.  Planning for adulthood can be overwhelming, and it is a time for the team to come together to support the student, instead of dividing into silos.

To help guide parents and educators through transition, we have created an eBook series called Transition to Adulthood.  Our first installment: "Supports and Services" is available here.

References

Binder, C (2016). Integrating Organizational-Cultural Values with Performance Management. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 36(2-3), 185-201

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What You Should Know About Leadership and Management Roles

In my career, I have held management positions where I was actually a leader, and in leadership roles where I was in a management position. As I reflected this week, I wondered, what is the difference?  Can someone be a Manager and a Leader?  Or does it have to be mutually exclusive?

Carl Binder, in his article "Integrating Organizational-Cultural Values with Performance Management," (Binder, 2016) writes that it is actually "work output" that defines the role (he takes it a step farther to define work output as the metric for defining company culture, but that will be an article for another day, so stay tuned...)

"Work output"  (Binder, 2016; www.sixboxes.com) can be seen as analogous to Thomas Gilbert's* concept of "accomplishments (Gilbert, 1978)."  It is the product of the behavior, or the goal of what the person needs to accomplish.  The following outlines the differences in work output between a manager and a leader.

1) Leadership

For a leader, work output must be defined from a telescopic viewpoint.  In this job description, we are focused on the "big picture"--the vision of the company and how to incorporate that vision within the metrics of the business as a whole.  The leader focuses on the purpose of the business, and work output is focused on incorporating that purpose within everything that management and employees do in the day to day.

2) Management

The manager's work output can be defined from a microscopic viewpoint.  The manager is focused on the day to day operations, and making sure that everything from an operational standpoint is running smoothly.  In other words, widgets are made, staff are performing, and deliverables are shipped.

Can a leader be a manager and a leader at the same time?  From experience, I say yes, depending on the resources the leader has at their disposal.  If a leader is able to delegate, the microscopic work outputs can be moved to managers, leaving the leader time to think about the big picture and ways to constantly evolve the business; however, if the resources are not there, the leader must take on multiple hats.  This is possible as long as the leader can make time to take off the management hat, and put on the leadership hat, so that they can continue to focus on "big picture" projects.  A business will not be able to grow and scale unless it has managers and leaders...even if they are the same person.

References

Binder, C (2016). Integrating Organizational-Cultural Values with Performance Management. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 36(2-3), 185-201

Gilbert, T.F. (1978). Human competence: engineering worthy performance.  New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Book Company

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Three Strategies to Organize Your Workflow

This last week I have been working through David Allen's book, "Getting Things Done,"* and it has really helped me to organize my workflow.  Three strategies he discusses in this book are to 1) Capture the Things that Might Need to Get Done, 2) Direct Yourself to Make Front End Decisions, and 3) Curating and Coordinating the Content.  How do I know it helped? I took a count of the tasks per day I completed.  Prior to reading this book, I was completing an average 2 tasks per day.  Last week, as I worked through the book, I completed 6 tasks per day, and also freed up some of my time to focus on strategy for my business by utilizing the methods outlined below.  

1) Capture the Things That Need to Get Done

In his book, Allen talks about the necessity of having a place to write down your task list, so that you can "close the loop" in your head and you are not focusing on your to-do list.  He explains that if things are not written down, there will be an internal "open loop" and you will continue to focus on those tasks.  By writing them down, you can effectively get them out of your head, leaving you to focus on the next strategy.  My own strategy in doing this week, has been to use my phone's task list to write down all of the tasks that need to be completed this week, along with alert reminders and due dates.  After they were written down, and my mind started to focus on those tasks, I redirected my mind to "close the loop," since it was written down with reminder alerts.

2) Making Decisions on Tasks

Once you have effectively captured the task, now it comes to prioritization of those tasks.  Some tasks will be "low hanging fruit" that you can get done in the moment and be done with it, while others will require more thought and time, or will require delegation.  See last week's blog on "How to Get Tasks Done Using Behavior Momentum" for more strategies on this step.  I went through each task per day at the start of my day to make decisions on each one as far as the order of accomplishment.

3) Curating and Coordinating the Content

For this strategy, I focused on taking those reminders and tasks on my phone, and using my calendar to block off time in the week to complete those tasks.  This way, instead of of having short blocks of time to complete tasks, I was able to block off time in a way that would allow me to be more productive and focus on my workflow.  Part of this strategy also involves committing to the calendar you set, and learning to say no to activities that would interfere with your time you've blocked off to complete tasks.

Often, our tasks build up and they can seem overwhelming.  By using the strategies outlined above, we can effectively free some time to accomplish the things we want to do, instead of being bogged down by our workflow.

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How to Get Tasks Done Using Behavior Momentum

"If you want to change the world, start by making your bed."

Admiral William McRaven, University of Texas-Austin 2014 Commencement Speech

I recently watched this video on Youtube, and found it very much in line with my recent quest to optimize my workflow and processes.  It is an interesting concept, and something that appeals to people within all professions: teachers, parents, and business executives.  The concept is called behavior momentum.  Admiral William McRaven goes on to state that "If you make your bed every morning, you'll have accomplished the first task of the day"  thus making it more likely you will continue the other tasks you have yet to accomplish.

Behavior momentum is a theory that has been studied for decades in the field of behavior analysis, featured in studies focused on working on task completion with individuals with developmental disabilities (Mace et al., 1988.), and described by Nevin, Mandell, and Atak (1983) as a "persistence of behavior."  To take it a step further, Mace and Belfiore (1990), defined behavior momentum as a persistence of behavior following a shift from high probability behavior (easy task) to a low probabilty behavior (hard task).  

Fast forward from the 80s and 90s to present day, where Admiral William McRaven provided this salient advice to the graduating class of the University of Texas-Austin.  By doing one task per day that is automated (easy, high probability), your behavior will persist to the harder tasks on that daily checklist (see "The Art of the Checklist").

I encountered this first-hand when I started working on developing my own business.  My schedule was extremely chaotic, and I had many tasks to complete throughout the day.  Though I was familiar with the use and benefits of a checklist to organize my tasks, there seemed to be too many on the page to complete, and I felt extremely overwhelmed.  Soon, nothing was accomplished, and my performance decreased rapidly.

That's when I turned to behavior momentum as a strategy to help automate some of my routine, so I would be more motivated to take on the harder tasks.  I created an ideal schedule of what I wanted my day to look like--scheduling blocks of time with tasks from when I woke up to when I went to bed.  I made sure to put the easy tasks in the beginning of the day (walk/feed the dogs, make breakfast/coffee), and as I moved through my schedule, I could focus on the more complex tasks.

 By using behavior momentum and scheduling my day with those blocks of time, I was able to perform more and more complex tasks throughout my day, thus increasing my performance and productivity!

References:

Mace, F. C., Hock, M. L., Lalli, J. S., West, B. J., Belfiore, P. J., Pinter, E., & Brown, D. K. (1988). Behavioral momentum in the treatment of noncompliance. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 21, 123-141.

Mace, F.C, Belfiore, P (1990). Behavioral momentum in the treatment of escape stereotypy. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 23, 507-514

Nevin, J. A., Mandell, C., & Atak, J. R. (1983). The analysis of behavior momentum. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 39, 49-59.

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Two Ways to Make Your Job Feel Like a Vacation

Dirty Heads,""Vacation""*

I am obsessed with this song.  

This song got me thinking, though.  So many of us, whether we are teachers, parents, or business leaders do not love our occupation.  Why is this?  What are the environmental variables that effect our performance, or "satisfaction" in our occupation?

I think it is the classification of reinforcement that effects our behavior.  If we attend our occupation (though we may not find it motivating or enjoyable), there is something reinforcing our behavior of at least attending to it every day.  I recently surveyed students in my current undergraduate course about why they think people attend their job everyday, even though they may dislike it.  Their answers varied in content, but had the same theme.  Most stated that avoiding the "loss of the job" or "loss of pay" would be why most people continue to attend their job.  In behavior analysis, this is what we would refer to as negative reinforcement. (For more on this see: Behaviorspeak: A Glossary of Terms in Applied Behavior Analysis by Bobby Newman*)

When I surveyed them again as to why they thought people attend their job, who "love their occupation," they stated that people who enjoy their job do it because they "enjoy the  work that they do," or "like how much they get paid."  These statements, would lead me to believe that those who love their occupation find working positively reinforced by internal or external positive feedback, or by gaining compensation.

Once I sorted out the consequences surrounding the two groups of people: those that love their job, and those that hate it, I started to think of potential additional environmental variables that could also effect performance in various occupations.  I reflected on my own work experience in this.

I have worked since I was 13 years old in various jobs and places of employment.  Some jobs I absolutely loved (disclaimer: though I left to take on new projects, I still loved them), and some were not a good fit.  In thinking back on the antecedents that were present in the environment for the jobs I loved versus the jobs I disliked, I was able to come up with two environmental variables that effected my satisfaction.  

1) System Automation

In the jobs I loved, the environments had streamlined processes with systems to automate workflow, so I could be free to spend more time thinking creatively and creating new projects than completing repetitive tasks.  In the jobs I disliked, the environments were often chaotic with limited processes or systems present to aid in workflow.  Tasks were presented with little instruction on how to perform those tasks.

2) Feedback

Feedback (though not always positive) was effective and provided often.  These environments allowed me to shape my own development, and to learn new skills.  In the jobs I disliked, feedback was limited when those tasks were performed.  I did not learn new skills when in these positions.

Looking back, I could have easily changed those environments by thinking of ways to help automate my workflow, and seek feedback and instruction elsewhere if I did not find it within the environment of the job, so I could have taken those opportunities to learn new skills.  I could have changed the environment, and maybe enjoyed the work a little more.  If this didn't work, I could have sought work elsewhere, which is what happened anyway, so I had nothing to lose in trying.

As educators, parents, and business leaders, we are tasked with creating environments that shape the development of those we teach, raise, or lead.  It is also important, that we also create environments that shape our own development, so that we can also "love our occupations."  Instead of spending time and energy hating our job, we can all find ways to change the environment to find joy in our work.

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How Practicing Mindfulness Can Shape Development

The practice of mindful meditation has recently been very much publicized in the news and the interwebs lately, and for good reason.  In fact, I recently did an online search at a bookstore for the topic and it came up with 2,231 search results for book topics and related material!

Practicing these behaviors have been shown through empirically validated research to reduce stress and anxiety, and increase emotion regulation and focus (Davis & Hayes, 2011).  Steven Hayes also provides support for the practice of mindfulness within Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, an empirically validated intervention, which exists within the one of its six tenets: "Being Present (Hayes, 2004)." (see also  Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)* With the benefit of modern technology, the practices of mindfulness and meditation are no longer accessible to those traveling to far off places who participate in retreats or structured classes, as many applications and books provide support in the practice, teaching beginners and advanced learners.

I have to be honest, I was incredibly resistant to engage in mindful meditation.  However, as a highly (self-proclaimed) anxious individual, I read countless articles proclaiming its benefit  to increase productivity and decrease anxiety and stress...so I decided to give it a try.

I started to notice a difference in my thinking and reactive behavior after the first week, though I'll be honest, and I almost gave up after the first or second session.  I scheduled time first thing in the morning to block off five minutes where I would sit in silence and "practice" mindful meditation.  I focused on my breathing, and tried to simply "notice" my thoughts.  The first two sessions were a disaster, and my thinking just kept racing at quick speeds about everything I needed to do that day in my business.  The third day, I was on the verge of giving up, when it finally clicked. One of the practices of mindfulness, advises people to think of a metaphor of a "Passenger on a Bus," to practice noticing your thoughts.  In this metaphor, the person practicing meditation imagines that they are a passenger on a bus, and all the thoughts and feelings present in the mind, pass by out a window as if you are a "passenger on a bus."  As soon as I visualized that scenario, I was able to think more on my breathing, and react less to the thoughts and feelings occurring.  By the end of the first week, I already saw a difference in my thinking and reacting to stressful situations.  By the end of the second week, I was able to stretch the practice time to 20 minutes instead of just 5 minutes.

As a skill set, practicing mindfulness, shown through both research and my own experience, has allowed myself and others to access more information, focus on work, and reduce stressful thinking practices.  If all leaders: teachers, parents, and business executives learned to practice this skill, and then in turn teach the skill to those they lead, we could all develop new ways to combat stress and anxiety in our daily lives!

*Please Note: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. 

References:

Hayes, S.C (2004). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and the new behavior therapies: Mindfulness, acceptance and relationship. In S. C. Hayes, V. M. Follette, & M. Linehan (Eds.), Mindfulness and acceptance: Expanding the cognitive behavioral tradition (pp. 1-29). New York: Guilford.

Davis, D.M & Hayes, J.A.(2011) What Are the Benefits of Mindfulness A Practice Review of Psychotherapy-Related Research. Psychotherapy 48(2) p 198-208

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The Art of the Checklist

I have a secret...I am a checklist junkie.

Checklists have an amazing amount of stimulus control over my everyday life.  After reading Atul Gawande's book The Checklist Manifesto * it is clear they should for everyone.  As a surgeon, Gawande provides stories of how checklists keep surgeons organized, save lives while patients are in triage, and provides many additional examples of how checklists have saved and changed lives.

Though I am not a surgeon, and would not dream of comparing my mundane everyday life to the life in the ER, there are parallels in how I use the checklist to "triage" the tasks I need to complete everyday.

The field of Behavior Analysis also has shown the benefit of the use of checklists to shape behavior.  We have demonstrated their success in classrooms to set the occasion for responding to problem behavior in children in general education classrooms (Witt, Noell, Lafleur, & Mortenson, 1997), as well as to increase the rate of safety behavior in the workplace, especially when used to support managers in providing feedback to workers (Cooper, 2006). 

 As business leaders, parents, and teachers, we need tools to organize our daily lives and to serve as reminders of the  tasks needed to complete everyday--to help us triage, but also to help us set the occasion for the behavior of those we lead and teach.  When we get overwhelmed with the tasks we need to complete, or the people around us need support, we can use checklists to change our behavior, and the behavior of those around us.

  **Please Note: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. 

References:

Witt, J.,  Noell, G.,  Lafleur, L. & Mortenson, B. (1997). Teacher Use Of Interventions In General Education Settings: Measurement And Analysis Of The Independent Variable. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 30(4), 693-696

Cooper, M.D. (2006). Exploratory Analyses of the Effects of Managerial Support and Feedback Consequences on Behavioral Safety Maintenance. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management 26(3), 1-41

The 3 Assessments Every Leader Needs To Guide Their Organization

As a behavior analyst, I have always used assessments to guide my decision making.  Prior to making any recommendations to a client, or feedback to staff working in the field, it is necessary to have data to support recommendations or feedback.  This is where assessments become important and valuable tools.

Assessments can come in two forms: objective and subjective.  Behavior Analysts typically favor objective assessments, but in my experience, subjective assessments can also have a purpose when a leader wants staff members to provide a self-report on their behavior, or when a leader may also want to do some self-assessment on their own behavior.  Here are the assessments that I typically use in my practice:

1. Performance Checklists

This is the primary objective assessment I use, in which measurement is based off of direct observation of staff, performing their assigned tasks during a specific time period.  The manager in this situation, would write out (using behavior-specific definitions) the responses required in each task outlined in a person's job description.  Once defined, the manager can than observe the person performing the tasks, and then derive a score based off of performance.  Ideally, the manager will then use those data to create a performance development plan for the individual they are supervising (Note: it is always best to provide feedback following the observation, as soon as possible, and allow the person to remediate the skill that was not performed with criteria outlined.)

2. Leadership Practices Inventory

This assessment was created by James Kouzes and Barry Posner.  It divides leadership skills into constructs of leadership practices which are: Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart.  Based on self-report, answers are ranked with a ratings scale and the inventory provides a rating score for each heading.  Kouzes and Posner have developed a workbook and a book that is based on these principles to help leaders develop skills, and can also be used to develop managers in your organization.  The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen In Organizations by Kouzes and Posner* is a great resource for leaders to develop managers in their organization, as well as to develop their own leadership skills.

3. StrengthsFinder 2.0

This is an assessment created by Donald O. Clifton and Tom Rath in collaboration with Gallup.  The purpose of this assessment is to "help people discover and develop their natural talents."  This is a great tool for leaders to use to assess staff strengths, and then create job descriptions and performance development plans based off of those strengths.  This assessment can be found at: http://strengths.gallup.com.  Ideally, this is an assessment you would complete during the orientation period of a staff member, however, it can also be utilized during staff promotions or when there are changes in the organization that would effect an employee's position in the organization.

Whatever tool or assessment you use, keep in mind that leaders should always use data to drive decisions when guiding their organizations!   Subjective assessments in conjunction with objective measurement of performance, are useful tools in shaping the development of staff and leaders.

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How to Create Environments for Success to Maximize Learning Potential

How do we create environments to maximize the learning potential of those around us?  Most behaviors are shaped from the environment that surrounds them, be it something that happens before the behavior occurs (antecedents), or something that happens after the behavior occurs (consequences).  Believe it or not, we can actually shape behavior to maximize learner potential if we are aware of the environmental factors that surround them, and then use that information to change the learner’s environment!

Take a business for example.  On any day, a manager can walk in to the office and observe many behaviors of their direct reports.  Some individuals may be typing on their computer, some may be holding a meeting in a conference room, and some may be copying or filing papers.  On the flip side, you may also have some individuals at their desk staring in to space, or surfing the internet instead of working.  All of these behaviors have been shaped in the particular environment of the office. 

Prior to shaping development in their direct reports, the manager should be aware of the environmental factors that surround the behavior.  The manager should collect information regarding the antecedents of behavior (those things that happen before the behavior occurs—can also include the physical space of the environment itself), and the consequences of behavior (the things that happen directly after the behavior occurs).  Based on those data, the manager can then come up with a development plan to help the direct report learn new behavior that would shape their development in their position. 

It is important that the manager share these data with the direct report, not just on an annual basis but on a weekly to monthly basis.  The direct report should also have a part in the development plan, and this plan should change at least quarterly to reflect their growth. 

Please Note: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. 

For more information on creating environments for success see Mager and Pipe's: Analyzing Performance Problems: Or, You Really Oughta Wanna--How to Figure out Why People Aren't Doing What They Should Be, and What to do About It 

For information on how to complete in depth behavior assessments see O'Neill and Horner's: Functional Assessment and Program Development

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How to Dissolve an Argument Like A Pro (Without Raising Your Voice)

Why is it that we can run through multiple scenarios in our heads to provide perfectly reasonable and calm directives to fellow employees, direct reports, or even our own kids, yet when we are in front of a person who is visibly getting upset, we lose our cool and raise our voice?

It happens to be science….and a vicious social cycle.

Take the following parenting scenario as an example:

Parent: Sorry, Charlie, you can’t have the toy right now.

Charlie: But I really want it now.

Parent: You can play with it later.

Charlie: I WANT IT NOW!

Parent (yelling now): I SAID NO, AND THAT IS ENOUGH!!

Charlie: *cue the waterworks*

In that moment, we have two behaviors occurring, each interacting in a vicious social cycle.  Charlie’s yelling triggers the parent’s yelling, and as soon as the parent’s yelling happens, Charlie’s behavior immediately changes.  In that immediate behavior change, the parent’s behavior has effectively removed Charlie’s yelling from the present environment, and Charlie stopped arguing.  In this vicious social cycle, Charlie’s behavior decreases in the moment, and the parent’s behavior in the future is more likely to increase.  By decreasing Charlie’s yelling, the parent’s yelling is reinforced, and will continue in the future (For more information on this type of reinforcement, known as “negative reinforcement,” and operant conditioning see the following book: The Behavior of Organisms*, Skinner, 1938) ).

Take another example that is a scenario from the workplace:

Direct Report: I’d really like to talk to you about some issues I’ve been having with the project.

Manager/Supervisor: Sure, Tom, tell me what is going on?

Direct Report: I do not feel I have the support I need from management for resources needed to complete the project.

Manager/Supervisor (immediately defensive): Why not?!  We gave you three weeks to work on the project, and approved discretionary spending to get it done.  This is due in two days and you are telling me this now?!

Direct Report (raising voice): THIS IS NOT MY FAULT.  I’VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS THING FOR 60-80 HOURS A WEEK THE LAST TWO WEEKS AND I JUST CAN’T DO IT ANYMORE!

Manager/Supervisor (yelling): THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.  EITHER COMPLETE THE PROJECT, OR YOU CAN SEE YOURSELF OUT OF THIS OFFICE!

Direct Report: *storms out of the office*

Again, two behaviors are interacting!  The Direct Report is coming to the Manager with a problem, setting up for a stressful situation, and the Manager/Supervisor appears to feel attacked.  The Manager raises their voice, yells at the direct report, and there is an immediate change in behavior with the direct report storming out of the office.  This likely increases the manager’s behavior of yelling at direct reports in the future because of this experience, and again, his behavior is reinforced.

In either of these scenarios, has Charlie or Tom, the direct report, learned anything?  No.   The parent and manager, however; have “learned” that in the future, when presented with an aversive condition (child yelling or direct report complaining), they just need to yell, and that aversive condition will decrease.

So what can we do instead?  My suggestion is to keep calm, and shape development.

How do we do this?

First, when Charlie starts to yell, the parent can calmly provide him with an alternative, effectively teaching him to “accept no.”  Here is the example:

Parent: Sorry, Charlie, you can’t have the toy right now.

Charlie: But I really want it now.

Parent: You can play with it later.

Charlie: I WANT IT NOW!

Parent (calmly): Charlie, how about instead of the toy, we do _______ instead?

Hopefully, Charlie agrees.  If not, the parent may have to provide a few more alternatives than the original.

Here’s an example for the workplace:

Direct Report: I’d really like to talk to you about some issues I’ve been having with the project.

Manager/Supervisor: Sure, Tom, tell me what is going on?

Direct Report: I do not feel I have the support I need from management for resources to complete the project.

Manager/Supervisor (calmly): I see.  Why do you feel like you need more support and resources?

Direct Report (getting upset): I’VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS THING FOR 60-80 HOURS A WEEK THE LAST TWO WEEKS AND I JUST CAN’T DO IT ANYMORE!

Manager/Supervisor (calmly): Ok, I understand that is frustrating.  How can we problem solve this together so we can complete the project, and you do not feel so burned out?

Direct Report (calmly):  Well….(continues problem solving with manager)

Obviously, it is not always this simple, and sometimes it takes perseverance for the parent and manager to maintain a calm voice in the discussion.  However, by sticking to this strategy, and keeping calm, we can shape the development of those around us as well as ourselves.

*Please Note: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. 

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OOPS! 13 Management Practices That Waste Time & Money (and what to do instead)

By Aubrey C. Daniels