The Scientific DNA of Leadership

Within Applied Behavior Analysis, or the science of human behavior, the Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence (ABC) model is as essential in explaining the nature of human behavior as E=MC2 is in explaining the nature of energy. From a performance improvement perspective, antecedent strategies like training, planning, and goal setting tell a behavior what to do. But it is consequences (both positive and negative) that maintain behavior and potentially create conditions where staff members go above and beyond within the workplace. It's important to understand the ABCs of behavior as leadership is all about behavior. The behavior of the followers and the behavior of the leader. In fact, the ABCs of behavior might be considered the DNA of leadership. At any rate, most leaders focus on antecedents like training, goal setting, and telling employees what to do. But it is consequences of behavior that are?key?to increasing and sustaining productive staff performance. If training, goal setting, and telling people what to do resulted in peak performance, most people and organizations would be highly successful!

Consequences and Behavior Science

Now to many, consequences are perceived as something “bad” that happens following misbehavior or lousy performance. And this is true - sometimes. From a behaviorist’s perspective, consequences are simply things that happen as a result of a behavior and make it more or less likely that a given behavior will occur. About a century’s worth of research has confirmed that all behaviors, except reflexes, are maintained by consequences, or what we commonly refer to as a function. Consider the young child crying. The behavior of crying allows the child access to meaningful consequences. For example, the child may be provided food or her mother’s attention. When the child receives food or attention, the behavior of crying is then positively reinforced, thus increasing the likelihood that the child will cry again to access food or attention. In other cases, the child may cry because her diaper is dirty. In this case, the meaningful consequence becomes the removal of the dirty diaper. The antecedent of a dirty diaper evokes the behavior of crying, which is then negatively reinforced as a result of something?aversive?being removed…make sense? Placing this example into the ABC formula:?

A = Dirty diaper

B = Crying

C = Removal of dirty

Simply put, behavior occurs as a result of “getting something” (i.e., positive reinforcement) or “getting rid of something” (i.e., negative reinforcement). Many folks are often confused by the concepts of positive and negative reinforcement as the words positive and negative are associated with good or bad. In actuality, positive simply means something is added as a result of behavior, and negative means something is subtracted. These “somethings” can be related to accessing or escaping persons, places, things, and even private events like thoughts, feelings, and other bodily sensations. From a performance improvement perspective, the ABC model might look like this.

A = Training

B = Performs job

C = Receives positive feedback from boss, accesses pay, avoids reprimand

Now here's the thing, while both positive and reinforcement keep behavior going, negative reinforcement generates compliant behavior. In other words, people do just enough to get by, but only when the leader is looking. Think about it for a second. Why do you typically do the speed limit? If you are like most, you said to avoid getting a ticket. But you probably tend only to do the speed limit when law enforcement is present. As soon as the cop is far enough in the rearview mirror, you are back to speeding! In addition, fear of consequences has other side effects like negatively impacting morale, overall performance, retention, etc. Positive reinforcement, on the hand, gets people to go above and beyond, even when the leader is not looking. In addition, it helps people to feel safe, innovate, while simultaneously improving performance, morale, and retention. I could go on and on about this, but that's an article for another time.

Automatic Consequences

But consequences do not always have to come from the outside as in receiving feedback or pay. Sometimes they are automatic. For example, many people try to live by their values. If one of your values is kindness, the act of helping others might simply feel good. That added "good feeling" increases the likelihood you will engage in helping others again in the future.

In contrast, there might be times you are really tired. And while you might not be in the mood to help someone who seems to be in need because you are having a bad day, the thought of not helping them might generate thoughts and feeling associated with guilt. So you help to avoid those thoughts and feelings, which then generates that "good feeling" associated with helping. In both examples, the act of “helping behaviors” provides you with automatic reinforcement related to the “good feeling” or escaping the "bad feeling." You aren’t necessarily “getting something” like a tangible item or praise, but because you’ve learned to value helping others, the act of helping others produces positive reinforcement. And in the case of the bad feeling, you aren't avoiding some actual danger, but rather than "bad feeling" associated with guilt.

In the performance improvement ABC example above, when somebody finds meaning in their work, the outcomes they produce are naturally reinforcing. For example, I'm writing this article. I'm not getting paid a dime, but I really value disseminating the science of human behavior; therefore, every word I type and sentence I complete is reinforced towards that valuable accomplishment of publishing and disseminating this article.

In most cases, our behaviors are actually impacted by a variety of potential reinforcers. For example, most folks who work in education access multiple positive reinforcers like helping students achieve, socially interacting with peers, and obtaining a paycheck. At the same time, potential aversives like late payments, bill collectors calling, or being evicted are avoided!?

Rules

Under some conditions, we follow rules or verbal descriptions that let us know that performing certain behaviors within a given setting will result in a particular outcome (Tarbox, Zuckerman, Bishop, Olive, & O'Hora, 2011). While you’ve never experienced that outcome or the “contingencies” the rule describes, you understand “If I do ‘X’, then ‘Y’ will occur” (Skinner, 1974). As a result, you behave according to the rule. For example, “If you run through a red light, then you may get into a car accident or receive a ticket.”?While you may never have been in a car accident, you will likely behave according to the “rule.”?In this case, to avoid the undesirable outcome of getting into a car accident or receiving a ticket, you behave accordingly. This can be applied to a number of rules in organizations like "you must call in to work when you are absent, or you will receive a written warning." You have probably always called in when you are absent, so you've never experienced that consequence. But you likely continue to call in because of both the rule and perhaps your personal values.

Unlock Behavior, Unleash Potential

In the end, it's important to understand that achieving results and accomplishing valued outcomes can be broken down into behavior. When you unlock behavior, you unleash potential. If you are a leader and you aren't getting the results you want, it means people need to do something (behavior) more, less, or differently. This likely means that you will need to do something more, less, or differently. So, if you are a leader and you want to improve outcomes, it makes sense to look at it through the ABC lens rooted in the science of human behavior. To find out more about leveraging the science of human behavior as a leader, check out the Wall Street Journal and USA TODAY Best-selling book, The 5 Scientific Laws of Life & Leadership: Behavioral Karma.

References

Abernathy, A., (2014). The liberated workplace: transitioning to walden three. Atlanta, GA:?Performance Management Publications

Daniels, A., & Daniels, D. (2004). In?Performance management: Changing behavior that drives organizational effectiveness. GA: Performance Management Publications.

Skinner B.F.?About behaviorism. New York, NY: Vintage Books; 1974

Tarbox, J., Zuckerman, C. K., Bishop, M. R., Olive, M. L., & O'Hora, D. P. (2011). Rule-governed behavior: teaching a preliminary repertoire of rule-following to children with autism. The Analysis of verbal behavior,?27(1), 125–139. doi:10.1007/bf03393096

About the Author

Specializing in human performance, coaching, and organizational leadership, Dr. Paul "Paulie" Gavoni is a behavior scientist and educator who has worked across education and human services for almost three decades. In this capacity, he has served the needs of children and adults through various positions, including COO, Vice President, Director of School Improvement, Leadership Director, Professor, Assistant Principal, School Turnaround Manager, Clinical Coordinator, Therapist, District Behavior Analyst, and Director of Progam Development and Public Relations at?PCMA. Dr. Gavoni is passionate about applying Organizational Behavior Management (OBM), or the science of human behavior, to make a positive difference in establishing safe, productive, and engaging environments that bring out the best in faculty and staff so they can bring out the best in the learners they serve. He is an active board member of the?Opioid Awareness Foundation?and?World Behavior Analysis Day Alliance.

Known for his authenticity and practical approaches, Dr. Gavoni is the host of the Top 1.5% globally ranked?Crisis in Education Podcast?and a sought-out speaker at various Educational and Behavior Analytic Conferences Internationally. He a the Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling co-author of The Scientific Laws of Life & Leadership: Behavioral Karma; Quick Wins! Accelerating School Transformation through Science, Engagement, and Leadership; Deliberate Coaching: A Toolbox for Accelerating Teacher Performance; and MMA Science: A Training, Coaching, and Belt Ranking Guide. Dr. Gavoni is proud to introduce OBM and Applied Behavior Analysis to worldwide audiences through his numerous publications and his work with PCMA to create productive, safe, and positive cultures.

Beyond his work in education and human services, Dr. Gavoni is also a former Golden Gloves Heavyweight Champion and a highly respected striking coach in combat sports. Coach “Paulie Gloves,” as he is known in the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) community, has trained world champions and UFC vets using technologies rooted in the behavioral sciences. Coach Paulie has been featured in the books?Beast: Blood, Struggle, and Dreams a the Heart of Mixed Martial Arts, A Fighter’s Way, and the featured article Ring to Cage:?How four former boxers help mold MMA’s finest. He is also an author who has written extensively for various online magazines such as Scifighting, Last Word on Sports, and Bloody Elbow, where his?Fight Science series?continues to bring behavioral science to MMA. Finally, Paulie was also a featured fighter in FX’s highest-rated show at the time, The Toughman, and as an MMA coach in the Lifetime reality series?Leave it to Geege.