Bringing Out the Best in People: How to Apply the Astonishing Power of Positive Reinforcement, Third Edition, 3rd Edition

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The High Price of Negative Reinforcement

Be careful that victories do not carry the seeds of future defeats.

—BITS & PIECES MAGAZINE

We are all well aware of the many efforts being made to improve the way we manage the workplace today: employee participation, teams, engagement, and so on. With this swirl of activity, one would think that positive reinforcement has become the dominant way that organizations are managed. Unfortunately, such is not the case.

In my many visits to organizations of all kinds, I can tell you without a doubt that negative reinforcement is still the dominant management style. As a matter of fact, Robert Levering and Milton Moskowitz, in their 1988 edition of the national bestseller, The 100 Best Companies to Work ...