About 15 years ago, I was facilitating a leadership class of about 30 participants. Some of the folks I had signed up for the class while the remaining were enrolled by other reps. After each class, I decided to write a detailed email to each rep about their participant, and how they did in class. I would mention any recognition or breakthrough they had, and also identify some areas where I was challenging them.
As I began this routine, it wasn’t long before I received a call from a rep. His name was Mark, and he called to thank me for taking the time to give me an update on the person he had enrolled. He said,
“I appreciate your taking the time to do this. This gave me an opportunity to follow up with this person with specific encouragement and support. This helps me in my work with her company to achieve their overall goals. You are the only instructor who does this, and I just wanted you to know how valuable it is to me”
Now what do you think happened after that phone call? Do you think I kept up the habit and sent him follow up emails every week? I sure did. But what if he had said nothing, and I had heard no comments? Would I have still continued doing it? I’m not sure. Without any feedback or reinforcement, it might have fallen off the plate. After all, I was doing it because I wanted to…not because it was required. Here is the lesson learned:
When we reinforce specific behavior, it is far more likely to be repeated. We don’t need to be sugary or fluffy. We just need to remember the three steps that Mark used:
