Training Reinforcement

CHAPTER 4Influencing Behavior Change

Your objectives are ready! It’s time to create your reinforcement program, build a solid foundation, and engage your learners.

The 7 Principles of Reinforcement will help you to create your reinforcement program. Your program will address all 3 phases of behavior change, emphasize the preconditions, and include all measurements needed to create actionable intelligence. You will drive the learners’ engagement through a perfect balance of sending information and collecting data, giving direction and creating friction in their brains, and challenging your learners.

LEARNING THE VALUE OF REPETITION

I cannot remember whether my coach shared in an early stage the reinforcement objectives from my Olympic program. What I do remember are the days that I went to the dojo before going to school. Every day at 5:30 a.m. my repetition started. In Judo the movements of your feet are crucial. If your feet are placed correctly, your body will follow. My coach told me to do three steps: 1–2–3. I had to repeat every step 1–2–3 in front of a mirror. I looked in the mirror and worked on perfection. “Every inch counts,” my coach repeated over and over again.

After two months, he came to me and said, “Now you are ready for it.”

I was happy because it was wintertime in Holland and cold with snow and ice. I told my coach and he looked at me.

“You are ready for the next step,” he said. He gave me the key to the dojo and said, “You don’t need me for these morning ...