Back to School

As the final days of summer shorten, I’m recalling the gear-shifting experience I once had as a 12-year old when it was time to go back to school. Lazy trips with my friends to favorite places like the beach or the park or the swimming pool were abruptly replaced by class schedules, tests and a classroom of – well – competitors. Not that I didn’t enjoy the classroom learning. The structured delivery of material was efficient. But compared to the summer experience, it felt more like mass production with a target of grades and credentials. Summer learning offered the excitement of experimentation and creativity; and the thrill of discovery. The classroom was not always so. With a good teacher, it could also be exciting, but more often, school days were for lectures or test preparation: “These are the books you should read and these are the assignments you must complete to get an A.“   At least in my case, this behaviorist approach did produce some short-term results: good grades – my apparent ticket to success. Does this sound familiar? Do this and you get that.

In context of the Shingo Institute’s Second Insight, “Purpose and Systems Drive Behavior,” the behaviors I often see in working with clients are merely a continuation of what we learned in K-12.  “What grade do I need?” has been replaced by “How much does that pay” or “What’s my title?” MBO’s and quarterly bonuses drive behaviors to deliver exactly what is required. Idea system targets of 10 ideas per employee asymptote at 10 ideas per employee. Do this and you get that. Sadly rewards, whether they be cash, coffee mugs, belts or badges, take the focus off of purpose.

According to Alfie Kohn, author of Punished by Rewards, the do-this-and-get-that approach begins at birth and continues right into the workplace creating an environment heavy on control and light on experimentation and creativity one where people are objects of change rather than change agents. “Rewards and punishments," he says, “are just two sides of the same coin — and the coin doesn’t buy very much.” His solution? Build collaborative workplaces, and practices that nurture intrinsic motivation—choice, meaningful tasks, trust, and relationships. Where experimentation and discovery are their own rewards - fun and limitless.

This reminds me of my childhood summers. What lessons can we carry from the freedom of summer into workplaces and schools? And please share a story about your favorite teacher – the one who changed your life. I'd love to hear your thoughts

O.L.D.

BTW: Coincidentally, our opening keynote at the 21^st Annual Northeast Lean Conference, Derek Volk, CEO of Volk Packaging Corporation, and author of Go for Third: Leadership Lessons from the Softball Field to the Workplace, will share the leadership strategies, challenges and unusual yet keen insights that he developed while coaching girls’ softball for 20 years.

One More Big Thing: GBMP Consulting Group and LinkedXL have announced a partnership to combine GBMP’s 30 years of experience assisting organizations with strategic planning and Billy Ray Taylor’s LinkedXL OS breakthrough deployment software. Sign-up today for our free September 9 Launch Webinar to learn more about LinkedXL OS - and be entered to win a free registration to our October conference. Register for next Tuesday's free webinar here.