How performance is formed

The Law of Parallel Reinforcement states that the effectiveness of the main reinforcement depends on the parallel reinforcement that creates a background for it, in which a person fixes his attitude to what is happening. When a person performs an action, in fact, he performs not one, but two actions: the action itself and the expression of attitude towards it, his emotional action. If the emotional action was positive, it helps form the habit; if the emotional action was negative, it prevents the formation of addiction. More precisely, a person gets used to protest against the performance of the main action.

Let’s analyze the working situation: the boss gave the order to the employee, the employee obeyed and carried out the order. The first action is the actual act of the employee, namely: the deed is done, the employee has completed the assignment. However, attention: this was not all that the employee did. The second line, parallel to the execution of the order, the employee could smile inwardly and say “Good!” (or generally do everything without comments), and then there is a normal workflow. But the employee could accompany the execution of the order with a negative comment (“Damn, I got it already!”), Make a dreary, unhappy face, tighten his forehead and other household negativity. This is already the beginning of sabotage.

So, it’s not enough to track whether the employee has fulfilled your order or not: just the fact that the fulfillment says little about anything. The most important point is the parallel psychological comment that the person inside gave your order, the format (text, breath and face) with which he did all this. If you haven’t tracked this down and haven’t provided a positive format if necessary, then you can give an employee a task a hundred times in a row, and the employee will do it poorly a hundred times. He will get used to doing it badly, get used to it — and internally protest.

It is curious that people themselves do not notice their protest. “Yes, I’m not protesting, it’s just that the mood is not very good!” It doesn’t matter what is behind the negativity that accompanies your order in parallel: a bad mood or internal doubts, fatigue or negative emotions about something extraneous — it is important to notice and remove the negative so that your orders are carried out with the correct, neutral or even better positive attitude : “You don’t need to do this with a face like that. Pull yourself together, straighten your face and do your best! Excellent thank you!».

If you follow the format, this parallel background, if the execution of your orders is accompanied by a positive body and face of employees, then your employees will like themselves and are quite satisfied with your orders.