Leading or Surviving?

Welcome to "The Path to Peak Performance," a newsletter dedicated to exploring the depths of organizational excellence, authentic leadership, and team optimization. This space is where professional insights meet real-life experiences. Here, you'll find a blend of strategic advice and personal anecdotes, including stories about my kids, my husband, and the challenges I faced deep in the ABA field.

The Challenge of Authentic Leadership

How often do you find yourself putting on a different face just to ensure your business is doing okay?

Is simply being “okay” truly enough for your long-term vision?

Consider a scenario: Your company loses an employee making over $70,000 annually. The cost of this turnover can be staggering. According to research, the total cost of losing an employee can range from 50% to 200% of their annual salary. For an employee earning $70,000, this means the cost could be anywhere from $35,000 to $140,000. This includes recruitment costs, training new employees, and lost productivity during the transition period. By implementing Organizational Behavior Management (OBM), these turnover costs can be significantly reduced, leading to substantial savings and a more stable workforce. How many have you lost this year? How much has it cost you so far?

Are You Leading or Just Surviving?

Is “survival mode” really the best strategy for long-term success?

Let's be real for a second-Not every business makes it. Statistics show that about 20% of small businesses fail within their first year, around 50% fail by their fifth year, and roughly 65% fail by their tenth year. These failures often stem from poor management, lack of strategic planning, and inadequate understanding of employee dynamics. This is where OBM can be a game-changer.

Introducing OBM: Your New Leadership Toolkit

Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) is the key to unlocking your team’s potential. By applying behavioral science, OBM helps you understand what truly drives your employees, leading to higher engagement and performance.

The Power of OBM

OBM provides a clear picture of your organization’s dynamics. It helps you address challenges with precision and create a motivated, cohesive team. This approach goes beyond superficial fixes, offering sustainable solutions that drive real results.

Implementing OBM Strategies

To understand OBM's full potential, think of it like conducting a differential diagnosis in medicine. Just as a doctor uses various tests to pinpoint the exact issue, you can use OBM to diagnose organizational challenges accurately.

1. Define Clear Goals: Establish specific, measurable objectives for your team. Ensure everyone understands their role in achieving these goals.
2. Monitor and Measure: Use data-driven methods, akin to an MRI, to get a detailed view of your organization’s health. Regularly assess how well your team is meeting the objectives.
3. Provide Feedback: Offer regular, constructive feedback. Recognize achievements and address areas needing improvement promptly.
4. Reinforce Positive Behavior: Develop a reward system that acknowledges and incentivizes behaviors aligning with your organizational values and goals.
5. Adjust and Adapt: Be prepared to tweak strategies based on feedback and results. Continuous improvement is key to long-term success.

First Step in Adopting OBM: Pulse Surveys

One practical step to start with OBM is implementing pulse surveys. These surveys can help you gauge your team's understanding of current company goals and overall engagement.

• Conduct Pulse Surveys: Send out anonymous surveys to your staff asking about their understanding of the company's goals. Multiple-choice questions are fine, but open-box or fill-in-the-blank responses will truly assess their understanding. This will provide you with data on how well-aligned your team is with your vision.
• Analyze the Results: Look at the percentages of staff who understand the company targets. Identify any gaps in understanding and areas where communication needs improvement.
• Reflect on Impact: Ask yourself, what are your employees gaining when these goals are met? What are they losing when they aren’t? Better yet, what are you losing as a leader?

OBM In the ABA Field

• In the world of Applied Behavior Analysis, OBM can streamline clinic operations, improve staff performance, and enhance client outcomes. Imagine reducing turnover rates among RBTs and creating a more cohesive and motivated team. And who knows, maybe even your data sheets will stop mysteriously disappearing.

As someone who has experienced every tier of the ABA model, including viewing organizational metrics from a business analytical vantage point, I can attest to the often fast-paced nature of our field. At its core, ABA organizations frequently lack the ability to conduct thorough self-examinations. Company pain points often go unaddressed, and employees frequently lack the motivation to contribute effectively to overall company success.

OBM in Different Industries

• Tech: Enhance remote collaboration and innovation by using OBM to identify and leverage your team’s strengths. Imagine using OBM to keep your developers from coding at 3 AM—unless they really want to, of course.
• Healthcare: Improve patient outcomes and reduce staff burnout through targeted OBM strategies that foster teamwork and morale. Think of it as a way to keep the nurses happy and the doctors from throwing their pagers.
• Retail: Lower turnover rates and enhance customer experiences by aligning staff roles and rewards with company goals. With OBM, your store clerks might finally stop dreading the holiday rush.
• Finance: Strengthen compliance, risk management, and client relations by integrating OBM principles to ensure alignment with financial KPIs and regulatory standards. OBM can help keep your accountants from hiding under their desks during tax season.
• Manufacturing: Optimize production processes and improve safety by applying OBM to streamline operations and boost employee engagement. Think of it as the magic potion that makes assembly lines run like clockwork.

Your Path to Effective Leadership

As Q3 come on it's peak and Q4 approaches, the most chaotic time for staff with children due to the start of the school year, it’s crucial to acknowledge the added pressures on your team. Implementing OBM strategies can help create a supportive work environment that accommodates these demands.

Ask yourself:

Are your employees juggling work and home life without proper systems? How do you think they are really doing?

Do folks seem at peace on a Monday when they arrive?

Do people actually feel connected and as an integral part of the company mission?

Do you feel this way? Or do you wobble with understanding how you will escape the statistics of business failures?

Not sure where to begin with a company pulse survey?

Analysis Tips:

• Identify Trends: Look for patterns over time to understand shifts in employee sentiment.
• Address Issues: Use open-ended responses to pinpoint specific obstacles and address them promptly.
• Communicate Findings: Share the survey results with your team to promote transparency and trust.

For more insights and personalized strategies, consider taking the Culture Index Survey. This tool can provide valuable insights into your team’s strengths and areas for growth, helping you implement OBM effectively by knowing who you are at your core, and who you begin in your work environment.

Want more? Check out (Bucket List Rewards).

Engage with Us

Have you completed these before? What did you all do with the data collected? Were you able to streamline systems to address the lack of clarity surrounding goals? Share your experiences in the comments or connect with me directly for a more personalized discussion.

Stay Connected

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Warm regards,

Asia Johnson M.S., BCBA LBA

Founder of Seizing 611 LLC | www.seizing611.com | [email protected]

CI Executive Advisor| www.cultureindex.com | [email protected]