Some Principles of Behavioral Science

“We’re All 13 Years Old Inside”

Creative–Energized–Emotional–Immature–
Fun Loving–Enthusiastic–Fearful

—Sheri Barker

Some Key Principles of the Science of Human Behavior

Leadership of People
1. “Skeptics are my best friends.”
2. “People support what they help create.”
3. Assumptions & Thoughts -> Behavior -> Consequences: (ABCDE) Desired vs. Experienced—Unintended Consequences.
4. Peer pressure works quite well—there are always natural/informal leaders.
5. Consistency and integrity are the most important leadership behaviors to employees.
6. Give credit to others—let them give it to you.
7. Praise in public, criticize in private.
8. The troops eat first.
9. Start tight—then you can loosen up (Leadership 101).
Change
1. Change has predictable behaviors (The Rollercoaster of Change™).
2. The Rollercoaster of Change™ is natural, normal, and highly predictable.
3. People are naturally more energized and motivated if they are delegated an entire (whole) job with direct customer contact—Plan, Do, Control.
4. You cannot change others, only yourself—your reactions and your own behavior towards others.
5. If you find it hard to change your behavior and habits, think how hard it is for others to change.
6. Fear does not motivate people to really change, especially long term on their own. They just “move enough” to respond to the perceived threat.
7. Organizations are dependency models at the lowest level of maturity. Most adults have risen above it to the independent or interdependent maturity level.
8. Don’t burn bridges or treat others with anything but dignity and respect—what goes around eventually comes around back to you.
9. The main question to ask in any situation is, “Are we making progress (towards our goals)?” Are we making continuous improvement? Do we have problems and are they getting better?
III. Individuals
1. People dislike surprises. (Confidentiality is a myth anyway.)
2. I want input into decisions that effect me before the decision is final (do it with me, not to me).
3. “What’s In It For Me?” (WIIFM). We are all goal directed.
4. Saying “I’m sorry or you’re right or I apologize” are some of the toughest words to say in the English language—but honesty builds trust.
5. If you see or discover a mistake or wrong action, you are now part of the problem. You have only two choices: collude to be part of it or work to change it. Ignoring it is to collude to allow it to happen again.
6. Honoring the past allows for and frees me up to change in the future.
7. Having integrity gives you power—the power of honesty, the power of directness, and the power of trust.
8. You cannot injure or hurt my self esteem without my permission and collusion. Know where your limits and where your line of self-esteem are—protect them and don’t let others cross your line.
9. By understanding and empathizing with others first, you have then earned the right to disagree with them as a royal skeptic.
Theorists
1. Freud was right: Rewards and consequences and fears do drive behavior.
2. Skinner was right: Positive behavioral reinforcement works better than negative.
3. Freud was right: Most people avoid conflict and pain “like the plague.”
4. What is realistic to expect given the current situation? (Harry Levinson)
5. Maslow was right: We have a Hierarchy of Needs:
  1. Food, clothing, and shelter,
  2. Safety and security,
  3. Belongingness and love, which must be met for
  4. Esteem, self esteem, and then
  5. Self-actualization to fully blossom!
Learning and Simplicity
1. Our retention fades fast—we need booster shots (4 times) with reinforcement regularly to retain new learnings and behaviors.
2. “Adults learn best by doing.” (Struggling accelerates the learning.)
3. Root causes are delayed in time and space—search for them.
4. We become more complex and set in our ways over time (complexity vs. simplicity).
5. Simplicity wins the Game of Change every time.
6. Feedback is a gift—the breakfast of champions—be open to it, model it for others.