Before coming to your training, please do the following:
In this lesson you will discuss, ponder, and role-play situations in which you use positive acknowledgment and reinforcement, schedule reinforcement, and shaping to promote good behavior in particular associates.
From the following list, choose and complete one or more activities that best apply to your situation.
As a group, discuss the following questions:
For a list of possible positive reinforcements, see the “Lesson Resources” section, Resource 1.
It may seem challenging to recognize positive behaviors and qualities in associates who seem difficult to work with or do not seem to be making progress. In fact, doing this might take time; effort; the development of new skills; and a change in how you think, feel, and perceive.
Think of an associate who is not following through with commitments, is being disrespectful to others, or has another similar struggle. Record the associate's name and difficulty and then silently ponder the following questions:
Record positive statements about this associate in your learner's journal.
If you feel comfortable doing so, share with the group what you recorded. As a group, discuss other positive things you could say about that particular associate.
Divide into pairs and role-play the following scenario:
A particular associate is often late to work. While at work, the associate takes excessive break time.
One person will be the job coach trainer and the other will be an associate. Role-play how the job coach trainer can use an immediate positive reinforcement when the associate comes to work on time.
When everyone has finished role-playing the scenario, discuss the results as a group. Then record impressions about positive reinforcements you could use.
From the following list, choose and complete one or more activities that best apply to your situation.
As a group, read and discuss “Schedules of Reinforcement” (John N. Marr and Richard T. Roessler, Behavior Management in Work Settings [1986], 16).
Have a volunteer write key points from your discussion on the board.
Select an associate for whom you would like to implement a reinforcement schedule. Record the schedule on the tracking sheets found on the Deseret Industries intranet. Decide which type of schedule (fixed, interval, non-interval, and so forth) you will use to help your associate.
Shaping is a technique used to help people work toward a good behavior. It consists of dividing the targeted behavior into smaller behaviors or tasks that build upon one another. For example, a child has a hard time doing homework for 30 minutes straight. One day, his mother asks him to do homework for 10 minutes straight. The child succeeds at this for a few days in a row. His mother provides positive reinforcement and then asks him to do homework for 15 minutes straight. The pattern repeats until the child is able to do homework for 30 minutes straight.
From the following list, choose and complete one or more activities that best apply to your situation.
As a group, read the following scenario:
Jane's responsibility is to hang clothes in the clothing processing area. She wants to sit down to hang because a previous employer allowed her to do that. Jane's job coach trainer requested a doctor's note but soon realized that Jane was physically able to stand for the full day. However, the job coach trainer could see that standing for the full day would be overly difficult for Jane, so he decided to try shaping.
The job coach trainer required Jane to stand for 10 minutes every hour. He also provided her with a notepad and asked her to record her standing time. After every 10-minute standing period, the job coach trainer walked by Jane and congratulated her on her progress. At times, the assistant store manager also participated with positive verbal acknowledgment.
Jane really enjoyed this type of reinforcement. Each week, Jane was required to increase her standing time by 5 minutes per hour. After Jane reached 30 minutes an hour, she decided she could stand longer than the requirement.
Within weeks of reaching the 30-minute mark, Jane stood for her full work shift. She had used her notepad to track her own progress and was able to share her progress with others at any time. As a result, Jane's productivity increased, her health improved, and she was excited to progress at work. She eventually began to support the lead associate for the clothing processing area with management activities.
Read and discuss “Shaping” (John N. Marr and Richard T. Roessler, Behavior Management in Work Settings, 14). Then discuss the following questions:
Read and discuss “Shaping” (John N. Marr and Richard T. Roessler, Behavior Management in Work Settings, 14). Then discuss the following questions:
Divide into pairs and discuss the following questions:
Record a shaping plan to help an associate change a particular behavior. Write phrases you would say to this associate. Share your ideas with your partner and ask for feedback.
Seek to identify a personal or business gap or need.
Spend a few minutes silently pondering what you've discussed during this lesson. Listen as the Holy Ghost helps you identify areas where you can improve. Record your impressions in your learner's journal under the question “What Lack I Yet?”
Seek ways to close the gap or develop the required talent(s) to meet the need.
With the guidance of the Spirit, create your plan of how you will improve and close the gap(s) you have identified. You may use one or more of the exercises below, your own strategy, or a combination of both. Record this plan in your learner's journal under “What Must I Do?”
After a few minutes, those who are comfortable doing so can share their impressions with the group.
Seek understanding, and then share what you learned.
During the week, focus on implementing the plan you created. Record your impressions or lessons learned in your learner's journal under “Therefore, What?” You will be given time at the beginning of next week's lesson to share your experience with the group.