OOPS #7: "You Did A Good Job, But..."

The meanest, most contemptible kind of praise is that which first speaks well of a man and then qualifies it with a "But," --Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887)

A Checklist Never Saved a Life

When I read The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atul Gawande three things occurred to me.  The first was a joke someone sent me in e-mail last week. “ A man is recovering…

Little Evidence of Talent in the Winter Olympics: Business should take a lesson

I watched a lot of the Olympics over the past two weeks and the skill levels were amazing.  There were not just a few skilled performers, there were many.  Often the difference between Gold…

When Watching LOST, Think "Washington"

Last week at the insistence of Tyler, our Assessments & Surveys Guru, I watched an episode of the TV series, LOST, and boy was I lost!  I quickly concluded this is not the kind of…

TARP: A Classic Study in Poor Contingency Management by the Government

Last week Neil Borofsky, Special Inspector General of the Troubled Relief Asset Program, said   that a number of the bail-out’s key goals “have simply not been met.” The question I have is…

Five Essential Stages of Safety Using a Behavioral Approach

If you’re interested in or responsible for workplace safety I recommend you read this recent two-part post in Safety Daily Advisor identifying the five essential stages of safety using a…

If You Missed Undercover Boss, Watch the Re-Run

After an intense Super Bowl game does not seem like a prime spot in the TV schedule to premiere a new show, but according to ratings, Undercover Boss proved to be one of the most watched post-…

Our Fascination With Sociopathic Bosses

I invite you to read my blog in the Guest Insights section of the Washington Post online. Related Posts: OOPS! The Biggest Mistakes Made By TV's Top Bosses

Pitfalls of Performance Appraisal

No activity in corporate life is more universally despised, by both managers and employees, than performance appraisal. Richard Warner and I discuss the pitfalls and what to do instead. 

Still Driving

My recent post DRiVE Me Crazy!, sparked a dialogue in the blogosphere and in particular, blogger Lisa (www.managementcraft.com) and I continued to trade thoughts. Here is her last…

How The Mighty Fall

With 1:55 left in the game and with the Minnesota Vikings leading the Dallas Cowboys 27 to 3, the Cowboys had no real chance of winning. Surprisingly to many, Viking’s quarterback Brett Favre…

"DRiVE" Me Crazy!

In his new book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, Dan Pink says that a new motivational operating system, what he calls Motivation 3.0, is needed for today’s business because what…

The “Underwear Bomber” Incident – My Two Cents

Almost everyone has written or talked ad nauseum about Abdul, etc. so I might as well weigh in.  I am reminded of one of our customers in the carpet hauling business where they would put carpet…

Hope Springs Eternal

I have quoted the poet, Alexander Pope, a lot lately, but he wrote so many good things.  He wrote, “Hope springs eternal in the human breast; …” As I think back about all the problems in our…

The Folly of Early Commitment in Washington

As one who studies behavior for a living, I couldn’t help analyzing last week’s “horse-trading” in the Senate around the health care reform bill.  Do the leaders in Congress ever concern…

The Reason Some Athletes Think They Are Above the Law is Because They Are!

My opinion of Falcon’s head coach, Mike Smith, dropped several notches week before last because of his action in the Babineaux case.  For those who don’t follow the Falcons NFL football team,…

"Up In The Air"

With all the buzz surrounding the new movie “Up in the Air” I’ve put it on my must see movie list for the Holidays. I’m particularly interested because in today’s business environment, these…

Great Example of Natural Reinforcement In Action

The Fun Theory is a clever marketing campaign from Volkswagen that has caught the attention of behavior analysts because it shows how to change behavior (in this example increase exercise) by…