Re: Criticism

["bob" <bob.adsett@lineone.net>]

Tore

I have seen a reference to your query in Forth Generation Management by
Brian Joiner where he illustrates exactly this point graphically. It is more
difficult to convey in text but the essence it is explained through
charting someone's performance using a line graph. When they are performing
well -- at the top of the graph their manager praises them for doing a good
job.

 Similarly  when they are performing badly (at the bottom of a graph) we
tell them off. In both cases -- giving praise or criticism is seen to alter
their performance of course this is not true.
The danger is in the interpretation we apply to what is seen,  instead of
recognising that performance is the product of a system in which they work,
and that all systems exhibit variation and this is what is being reacted
too.
This then lead to the drawing of false conclusions that goes something like
this:
 "when I praise them their performance for doing a good job it gets worse,
and  when they are doing a bad job (at the bottom of the graph)  I tell them
off and they get better. Peter Scholtes also has reference to this in the
Leaders Handbook where he refers to the phenomena as KITA (which he gently
transcribes as a Kick In The Pants), when looking at regimes of reward and
punishment (Carrot and Stick approaches).

The conclusion that many managers falsely draw when witnessing this
situation is - praise creates poor performance and telling staff off make
them improve.

Hope this helps

bob


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Bob Adsett
Bingley, Yorkshire, UK

Tel.   +44 (0) 1274 77 95 02
Mobile +44 (0) 7980 85 22 34
e-Mail bob.adsett@lineone.net
---
The great tragedy of science ­ the slaying of an original, beautiful
hypothesis by an ugly fact.