Do you want to unlock your employees’ full potential? What is the most effective management strategy?
In Bringing Out the Best in People, Aubrey C. Daniels challenges traditional management methods, which often fail to improve performance, and instead proposes an approach grounded in science. Using behavior analysis, Daniels examines how managers can create a work environment that encourages employees to give their all.
Read below for a brief overview of Bringing Out the Best in People.
Overview of Bringing Out the Best in People
In Bringing Out the Best in People, Aubrey C. Daniels contends that traditional management methods often fail to consistently motivate employees or improve their performance. Instead, he proposes a system that uses behavioral analysis—the study of how people’s actions are influenced by their environment—to create a work environment that encourages employees to go above and beyond their basic job requirements. This approach, Daniels argues, leads to better business outcomes and more engaged employees.
Daniels is a psychologist, public speaker, and the founder and chairman of Aubrey Daniels International, which provides leadership training grounded in behavior analysis. Some consider him a founding father of organizational behavior management, and his methods have proven effective at companies such as Rubbermaid and Kodak. He has authored a number of books on organizational solutions and personal development; Bringing Out the Best in People was published in 1994 and updated in 2014.
Overhauling Performance Management
According to Daniels, when employee performance is subpar, the problem usually lies within the work environment, not the employee. Most mainstream management styles don’t account for this, so they tend to work inconsistently (if they work at all). In this section, we’ll take a look at two common management approaches that Daniels says are ineffective: methods based on “common sense” and methods based on behavioral antecedents. Then, we’ll discuss Daniels’s scientific approach to management—one that uses behavioral analysis to modify the work environment and improve employee performance.
Ineffective Management Strategy #1: The Common Sense Approach
Daniels asserts that many businesses take a “common sense” approach to management. This means that managers operate on a case-by-case basis according to their personal insights. Daniels argues that this isn’t a dependable way to make business decisions—common sense reflects opinions that are based on people’s specific, bounded experiences. Because everyone’s experience is different, management practices that people think are “common sense” are often ineffective, unclear, inconsistent, and difficult to replicate. Relying on common sense leads companies to waste time and money as they try countless strategies without understanding why they work or don’t work.
For example, a manager might give public recognition to high-performing employees based on the common-sense intuition that this will motivate others to improve. However, Daniels says this tactic can be hit-or-miss. Some employees may find it motivating, but others may not value public recognition or may even feel embarrassed or stressed by it. So while this management strategy might occasionally yield positive results, it lacks the consistency and reliability needed for effective performance management.
Ineffective Management Strategy #2: The Antecedent-Only Approach
Many companies also try to manage people’s behavior by telling them what to do, often using a variety of means such as meetings and memos. Daniels refers to these instructions as antecedents—signals that are intended to prompt a desired behavior. If the employees don’t respond to antecedents in the way management wants, managers tend to repeat the antecedents more forcefully, hoping that increased frequency or intensity will eventually compel compliance. However, Daniels says this doesn’t usually get better results.
According to Daniels, antecedents are only one half of the behavioral management equation. The other half is consequences. Antecedents may encourage employees to engage in a behavior once or twice, but they don’t increase the likelihood that they’ll continue the behavior over the long term. To be truly effective, antecedents must be paired with appropriate consequences—the outcomes that follow a behavior that either reinforce the behavior with positive outcomes or discourage it with negative outcomes.
To illustrate, consider this example: Say a company introduces a new AI tool, and management asks employees to start using it. They hold training sessions and send reminder emails, and these antecedents prompt employees to start using the tool. However, the learning curve slows down the employees’ workflow, leading them to perceive the consequences of the desired behavior—using the tool—as negative. As a result, they resist using it and revert to previous techniques. In this case, simply repeating the antecedent isn’t motivating enough; instead, management must find a way to improve the behavior’s consequences—for instance, by clarifying the long-term benefit of using the new tool.
The Most Effective Management Strategy: The Behavioral Analysis Approach
Daniels provides an alternative to the ineffective strategies we just discussed; we’ll call this the behavioral analysis approach. He describes this approach as a five-step process. We’ll discuss each step in detail in the next section, but here’s the gist of it:
Using Daniels’s approach, managers systematically analyze the factors that influence employee behavior, rather than relying on intuition or trial-and-error methods. Then, they carefully optimize both antecedents and consequences to maximize what Daniels calls “discretionary effort”—employees’ willingness to go above and beyond their basic job requirements so that they take initiative to improve their performance and contribute more to the business. Discretionary effort is key to employee engagement—one of the markers of a successful business.
Daniels writes that the behavioral analysis approach beats out other approaches for two reasons:
First, it’s systematic and rooted in empirical evidence. Managers use science-backed behavioral management principles to effect the change they want to see. Then, they measure the impact of their interventions and fine-tune their methods over time.
Second, it’s universal. Daniels says that the principles of behavior analysis apply across a variety of situations and settings. This means you can use his approach no matter what kind of business you run.
The Five Steps of the Behavioral Analysis Approach
Now that you have a basic understanding of Daniels’s behavioral analysis approach to management, let’s explore it further. In this section, we’ll walk you through each of the five steps and examine Daniels’s tips for success at every stage.
Step 1: Identify the Desired Behavior
The first step of Daniels’s approach is to identify the desired behavior by clearly defining your objective and the specific employee actions that support it. The objective may be to solve a problem, like frequently missed deadlines, or achieve a goal, like heightened productivity. Daniels recommends that you start by establishing the objective; then, work backwards and decide which employee behaviors are most likely to lead to those desired results.
Daniels notes that often, executives are the ones who identify objectives—they’re responsible for knowing the company’s mission and values, so they have a better idea of what the company needs employees to achieve. In contrast, managers are responsible for implementing the behavioral strategies needed for employees to achieve the desired objective.
As you decide which employee behaviors to target, Daniels suggests that you consider three factors. Let’s explore each.
Factor #1: The Behavior Should Be Achievable for the Employee
Daniels suggests that behavioral interventions are best suited for cases when an employee is undermotivated—when they’re capable of achieving excellence, but they don’t want to for one reason or another. Daniels’s methods are not as helpful when the employee is simply underequipped to perform the desired behavior. If they lack adequate know-how or resources, you should address that—for example, with additional training—before asking them to change their behavior.
Factor #2: The Behavior Must Directly Contribute to the Objective
Daniel says that before you decide to target a specific behavior, you should consider how it contributes to the objective. If an objective depends on external factors beyond an employee’s control—like market conditions, organizational constraints, or actions by other departments—then targeting that employee’s behavior won’t garner the results you want to achieve. Instead, Daniels says you should focus on empowering employees to take ownership of behaviors that have a direct impact on the objective.
For example, say that your objective is to boost sales. It would be inappropriate to ask a salesperson to increase the number of customers entering the store, as that’s influenced by factors like location, advertising, and external demand—things that are largely out of their control. But you could consider targeting behaviors like whether the employee proactively reaches out to prospects, uses upselling and cross-selling techniques, and follows up on leads.
Factor #3: The Behavior Must Be Specific and Measurable
Daniels clarifies that you should ensure you’re targeting behaviors that are specific and measurable, rather than attitudes or personal qualities, which are subjective and hard to change from the outside. This ensures that both employees and managers have a clear understanding of what the desired behavior looks like and how progress can be tracked. For example, setting a goal to “improve customer service” is too broad and open to interpretation, whereas a goal like “respond to customer emails within two hours” is specific and measurable.
Step 2: Assess Performance to Data
In Step 2 of Daniels’s approach, you’ll collect baseline data about your employees’ current performance to use as a reference point for evaluating how effective your behavioral intervention is. Daniels suggests clearly communicating the purpose of the evaluation process—he notes that many employees are uncomfortable with performance assessments because they fear being judged or punished based on the results. This discomfort often stems from past experiences where evaluations were used solely for disciplinary purposes. To mitigate this fear and gain accurate baseline data, emphasize that evaluations are intended to identify areas for growth and improvement, not to find fault or assign blame.
What Kinds of Data Should You Collect?
Daniels says managers should collect two kinds of baseline data about employee behaviors: quantitative and qualitative data.
Quantitative data is more objective, so Daniels recommends focusing on that whenever possible. He also recommends using raw data—like simple frequency counts, response times, and numerical scores—over processed data like percentages and averages. Raw data provides a more accurate picture of behavior as it captures specific, concrete actions rather than potentially distorting the results through calculations or transformations.
For example, instead of averaging the time employees take to respond to customer inquiries, you might track individual response times for each inquiry. This allows you to see how consistently employees meet response time targets and identify any outliers or patterns that could signal specific problems.
Qualitative data describe your subjective assessments of aspects of performance that can’t be counted, like an employee’s acumen for customer service. Because qualitative data are subjective, many people consider them less reliable than quantitative data.
However, Daniels says there are two ways to ensure your qualitative data are fair and reliable: First, develop standardized rubrics that assign ratings based on certain behavioral criteria. For example, if you’re evaluating an employee’s customer service skills, your rubric might include categories such as communication clarity, problem-solving ability, and empathy, with each category rated on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent). Second, ask someone else to review your qualitative data; this reduces the risk of personal bias and makes evaluations more consistent.
Step 3: Communicate Feedback and Goals
Step 3 of Daniels’s approach involves giving employees feedback about their performance so far and setting up goals for them to aim for. Both feedback and goals are potent antecedents—they help employees understand whether they need to speed up, slow down, or be more careful in their work.
How to Deliver Feedback
Daniels explains that the way you deliver feedback has a significant impact on its effectiveness. When providing feedback, focus only on aspects that are within the employee’s control. This ensures that the feedback is actionable and doesn’t lead to frustration over outcomes that are beyond their influence. Additionally, Daniels recommends that you give individual feedback privately; public recognition can be uncomfortable or demoralizing for those who are underperforming. In contrast, you should give group feedback publicly—this can encourage mutual support among your employees.
How to Set Goals for Your Employees
Daniels suggests setting easily achievable, bite-sized goals for your employees and taking things one goal at a time. Easy goals are those that are just beyond an employee’s current reach. The employee is more likely to succeed at these than they are at challenging goals, which increases the likelihood of positive reinforcement and boosts their motivation to keep doing their best. This means that, somewhat counterintuitively, easy goals can be more effective at improving performance than challenging ones. It’s also important to set goals that are fair—instead of giving everyone on your team the same goal, tailor individual goals to suit each person’s current performance level.
Step 4: Encourage With Consequences
The fourth step—using consequences—is the crux of Daniels’s approach to management. According to Daniels, people tend to repeat behaviors that lead to positive consequences while avoiding those that have negative consequences. This means you can leverage consequences to reinforce desired behaviors and deter undesired behaviors. Daniels lists two main types of behavioral consequences; we’ll discuss each, along with some of Daniels’s tips for harnessing their power.
Consequence #1: Positive Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement is a motivational technique that works by tying desired behaviors to positive outcomes, thereby increasing the likelihood they’ll be repeated. Daniels asserts that positive reinforcement is the only way to promote discretionary effort—it creates a clear and rewarding connection between employees’ actions and their sense of satisfaction, motivating them to consistently invest extra effort into their work.
There are two kinds of positive reinforcement:
- Natural positive reinforcement: This occurs when the behavior automatically produces a positive outcome (like the satisfaction a writer naturally gets from writing). Daniel notes that unfortunately, most work tasks do not include natural positive reinforcements.
- Created positive reinforcement: When positive reinforcements don’t come naturally, managers must create them. Created reinforcements include social recognition (like praise and celebrations) and tangible rewards (like bonuses and prizes).
Daniels clarifies that to effectively use positive reinforcement, you must tailor your approach to each individual. What motivates one person may not work for another, so as a manager, you need to understand what resonates with different team members. Try various types of positive reinforcement and pay attention to how people respond. The act of showing interest and attention can itself be reinforcing, since it demonstrates that you value your employees. You can also take notice of which activities people on your team willingly take on (they’re more likely to choose activities that are naturally positively reinforcing).
Daniels also says it’s important to consistently reinforce the behaviors you want to encourage. If you fail to recognize and reward good behaviors, those behaviors will gradually disappear, even if they were once common. This phenomenon is known as extinction. Extinction happens because when people anticipate a positive outcome that never comes, they feel disappointed; this discourages them from further engaging in the behavior.
Consequence #2: Negative Reinforcement
Daniels states that negative reinforcement discourages repetition of a behavior by tying it to an unpleasant consequence. These consequences can be punishments (natural outcomes of the behavior, like reprimands) or penalties (outcomes that take something of value away from the employee, like pay cuts).
While negative reinforcement can be useful for achieving short-term results, Daniels advises against using them too liberally. He says negative reinforcement prompts employees to do just enough to avoid the consequence and doesn’t encourage them to invest discretionary effort into their work. For example, say you set a rule that employees must follow procedures exactly as documented, or else they’ll be fired. They’ll likely follow the procedures to the letter, but they may not engage creatively or suggest improvements to the process, as they’re primarily focused on avoiding negative outcomes.
Additionally, too much negative reinforcement can create a negative work environment, where the relationship between management and employees is defined by constant monitoring of employee behavior and a fear of punishment. Daniels explains that companies default to negative reinforcement because they assume it works best, but positive reinforcement is ultimately a more effective motivator.
How to Use Reinforcement Effectively
Now that you understand the two kinds of reinforcement, let’s explore a few of Daniels’s tips for using reinforcements effectively.
Tip #1: Switch up your approach regularly. According to Daniels, the more often you use a consequence, the less impactful it becomes. This means you need to be adaptable and creative when it comes to reinforcing behavior. For example, instead of always offering verbal praise for good performance, you could occasionally provide a small reward like a gift card or extra time off.
Tip #2: Reinforce behaviors as quickly as possible. Daniels explains that immediate consequences are more powerful than distant ones, even if they’re small. This means that acting quickly to reinforce desirable behaviors or to discourage undesirable ones will get you better results than if waiting to deliver a bigger reward or punishment later on.
Tip #3: Ask employees for their input. Daniels recommends that in addition to finding out which reinforcements motivate your employees, you should ask them to give you feedback about how your company operates. He explains that people tend to be more emotionally invested in processes they have a say in. Thus, by giving employees the opportunity to shape the workplace, you create space for natural positive reinforcements to arise as they go about their work.
Tip #4: Focus on building organic trust. Daniels writes that reinforcements only work if there’s a foundation of genuine trust between employees and management. If your employees don’t like or respect you, they won’t perceive anything you do or say positively, so your positive reinforcements won’t work. Similarly, negative reinforcement may backfire if employees feel unfairly targeted or unappreciated, leading them to resist or circumvent the rules. You can build trust by giving employees a realistic idea of what they can expect from you and following through on your promises consistently, especially when it comes to reinforcements.
Tip #5: Don’t combine positive and negative reinforcement. Daniels says it’s OK to use both approaches separately, but you should never use them at the same time. For example, you should avoid criticizing someone while you’re celebrating their success. This would dilute the positive feelings associated with the celebration, making it less effective.
Step 5: Review Your Progress
In the final step of Daniels’s approach, you’ll evaluate whether your behavioral intervention has helped you achieve your objective. To do this, gather the same kinds of data you collected in Step 2 and compare your results. Then, determine whether the behavior changed and whether you’re closer to achieving your objective than you were before.
You can also ask your employees for feedback about the reinforcements you’ve been using. Daniels warns against asking people what reinforcements they want before your intervention because they may not know or answer honestly, but you can gather feedback afterward to gauge the intervention’s effectiveness.
What to Do If Your Intervention Failed
If you determine that your intervention isn’t working, Daniels says there are two possible reasons: First, your reinforcement may not have been effective. This could happen for a variety of reasons—for example, you may not have chosen a reinforcement method that resonated with your employees, or you may have applied it too inconsistently. Second, you may have targeted the wrong behavior for change. This is likely the case when it seems that your employees’ behavior has changed radically but you’re still not getting the results you want. Use this information to guide your next intervention—change either the reinforcements you use or the behavior you target, and see whether your results improve.
What to Do If Your Intervention Was Successful
On the other hand, if you’re happy with the results of your intervention, then you’ve likely identified effective strategies for behavior management. However, you shouldn’t stop there. Daniels recommends that you continue to refine and build on these successful elements to further enhance performance and achieve additional objectives.
