Are You A Physicist?

Have you ever considered yourself a Physicist? I believe it is Newton’s Third Law that says, “for every action, there is a reaction.”

And, how about the proposition that your use of reinforcement techniques can “shape the behavior” of the people you interact with.

How you, as a Supervisor or Manager, treat the people under your supervision is a choice. Be mindful that every interaction you have with your Staff influences how those individuals perceive how you “value” them. Do you “talk down” to those you supervise? Or do you treat them with respect, even when they make mistakes? Good Supervisors know that they can counsel or give corrective feedback while treating the person with respect vs. disrespect.

And, how about Praise? Do you look for actions and behaviors that you want to become habits…repeated? Have you told, shown, and reinforced “what Good looks like”? Having “Positive Reinforcement” conversations doesn’t take lots of time, but the ROI on the action can be amazing. And the power of “impromptu praise” is one of the most powerful tools in your “Supervisors’ Tool Box”.

As I have commented on many times before, in exit interviews, departing employees identify the top reasons for leaving are “the supervisor” and “lack of recognition”.

It’s been my experience that most, if not all of you, know these things at a gut level.

But, if you’re going to be a really good Physicist, you will need to apply your knowledge all of the time. It’s when knowledge is put into action that you can become a “people physicist”. (OK, I did just create that title.)