Reinforcement Theory of Motivation

Reinforcement theory of motivation was proposed by BF Skinner and his

associates. It states that individual’s behaviour is a function of its consequences. It
is based on “law of effect”, i.e, individual’s behaviour with positive consequences
tends to be repeated, but individual’s behaviour with negative consequences tends
not to be repeated.

Reinforcement theory of motivation overlooks the internal state of individual, i.e.,

the inner feelings and drives of individuals are ignored by Skinner. This theory
focuses totally on what happens to an individual when he takes some action. Thus,
according to Skinner, the external environment of the organization must be
designed effectively and positively so as to motivate the employee. This theory is a
strong tool for analyzing controlling mechanism for individual’s behaviour.
However, it does not focus on the causes of individual’s behaviour.

The managers use the following methods for controlling the behaviour of the
employees:

Positive Reinforcement- This implies giving a positive response when an

individual shows positive and required behaviour. For example - Immediately
praising an employee for coming early for job. This will increase probability of
outstanding behaviour occurring again. Reward is a positive reinforce, but not
necessarily. If and only if the employees’ behaviour improves, reward can said
to be a positive reinforcer. Positive reinforcement stimulates occurrence of a
behaviour. It must be noted that more spontaneous is the giving of reward, the
greater reinforcement value it has.

Negative Reinforcement- This implies rewarding an employee by removing

negative / undesirable consequences. Both positive and negative reinforcement
can be used for increasing desirable / required behaviour.

Punishment- It implies removing positive consequences so as to lower the

probability of repeating undesirable behaviour in future. In other words,
punishment means applying undesirable consequence for showing undesirable
behaviour. For instance - Suspending an employee for breaking the
 organizational rules. Punishment can be equalized by positive reinforcement
from alternative source.

Extinction- It implies absence of reinforcements. In other words, extinction

implies lowering the probability of undesired behaviour by removing reward
for that kind of behaviour. For instance - if an employee no longer receives
praise and admiration for his good work, he may feel that his behaviour is
generating no fruitful consequence. Extinction may unintentionally lower
desirable behaviour.

Implications of Reinforcement Theory

Reinforcement theory explains in detail how an individual learns behaviour.

Managers who are making attempt to motivate the employees must ensure that
they do not reward all employees simultaneously. They must tell the employees
what they are not doing correct. They must tell the employees how they can
achieve positive reinforcement.

What are the best ways to motivate employees and increase productivity? This is a
crucial question for just about anyone in a workplace leadership role.

And, while leadership experts may agree with Aubrey Daniels that “positive
reinforcement is the most powerful leadership tool” (Daniels, 1982), managers
often find themselves overwhelmed by the multitude of factors involved in just
how, when, and where to administer it.

By sharing this wealth of information, readers are provided with the essential
ingredients for creating a reward rich environment in which employees do not
merely survive but actually flourish (Lewis, 2011).

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Positive
Psychology Exercises for free. These science-based exercises will explore
fundamental aspects of positive psychology including strengths, values, and self-
compassion, and will give you the tools to enhance the wellbeing of your clients,
students, or employees.
This Article Contains:

 What is Positive Reinforcement in the Workplace?

 33 Examples of Positive Reinforcement at Work
 Its Effectiveness Compared to Negative Reinforcement
 Research and Studies
 11 Interesting Statistics
 How to Give Positive Reinforcement to Employees
 Techniques and Strategies for Using Positive Reinforcement with Adults
 9 Ideas for Implementing Positive Reinforcement
 25 Reward Ideas for Adults
 A Take Home Message
 References
In this article, we will disentangle these relationships by delving deeper into the
concept of positive reinforcement in the workplace. In doing so, relevant
definitions are provided; and optimal strategies and leadership styles for
administering positive reinforcement are described. And of course, numerous
examples of positive reinforcement techniques for the workplace are offered.

What is Positive Reinforcement in the Workplace?

The concept of positive reinforcement is actually pretty simple: If you reward a

behavior, it is more likely to be repeated. And whether you’re talking about potty
training, dog training or learning a new job skill; the same principles introduced by
Skinner in the early 20th century still apply.

Skinner was clearly a strong advocate of positive reinforcement strategies,

rhetorically asking

“What is love except another name for the use of positive reinforcement? Or vice
versa”

(B.F. Skinner, 1974),

According to Skinner’s operant learning theory (1938), by adding a rewarding
stimulus (e.g., an operant) after a desired behavior, that behavior becomes
reinforced and is thus more likely to occur again. There is a lot more to Skinner’s
theory (i.e., negative reinforcement, response types, schedules of reinforcement,
etc.), but the basic concept of positive reinforcement is this:

Reward the behaviors you want to see repeated. As such, the term ‘positive
reinforcement’ is often used synonymously with ‘reward.’

Why It Matters At Work

So, let’s now consider the importance of positive reinforcement in the workplace.
First of all, we spend a significant portion of our lives at our jobs. For example, if
you imagine working full-time (e.g., 40 hours per week) for 30 years, this actually
adds-up to one-third of your life spent at work – a number that has only increased
over time due to higher life expectancies and a later average age of retirement.

Given this lifetime investment of time and talent, it makes sense that one’s work
environment should be pleasant with many positive opportunities for growth and
advancement. Moreover, from an employer standpoint; employee turnover, or
churn, is really expensive to an organization. For example, economic turnover
costs have been estimated as high as 213% of a year’s salary for a highly skilled
job (Boushey & Glynn, 2012).

Consequently, it is in an employer’s best interest to provide a rewarding

atmosphere that encourages productivity and motivation; and that discourages
turnover – especially undesirable turnover (i.e., the loss of valued employees;
Mayhew, 2019).

After all, going as far back as 1946, there is ample evidence supporting the
motivating impact of simply feeling appreciated for a job well done (Wiley, 1997).

Effective Leadership
 The two underlying purposes of workplace
positive reinforcement are:

1. To acknowledge a desired behavior; and

2. To encourage a desired behavior.

Of course, such acts of intentional acknowledgement and encouragement require

effective leadership that is both motivating and inspiring. Researchers have
described a particular management style termed transformational leadership that
promotes motivation by inspiring employees to do their best (Cleavenger &
Munyon, 2013).

Pulitzer Prize winner James MacGregor Burns describes the underlying agenda of
transformational leadership as:

“… the protection and nourishing of happiness, for extending the opportunity to

pursue happiness to all people”

(Burns, 2003, p. 3).

Transformational leadership is highly pertinent to positive reinforcement because it

is concerned with enhancing the perceived meaningfulness of work. This
objective is achieved by reinforcing various types of positive behaviors, such as
autonomy (which is supported by providing employees credit for contributions and
celebrating team successes); and task significance (which is supported by
acknowledging individual contributions).

In other words, effective

“managers help people see themselves as they are; Leaders help people to see
themselves better than they are”

Whatever the type of feedback might be, it is generally of higher quality when
delivered in a warm and safe environment (Cleavenger & Munyon, 2013).

It is these and other qualities of transformational leadership that promote effective

employee-manager relationships; which, in turn, enhance an employee’s ability to
make rewarding and meaningful career contributions.

Effective leaders possess a meaningful repertoire of reinforcement techniques, and

they know how to use them.

Whether the type of reinforcement is monetary compensation, verbal feedback,

advancement opportunities, or something else; it is important to recognize that the
potency of a reward is contingent upon the particular employee and what he/she
finds rewarding.

The following list provides a comprehensive collection of workplace reinforcement

examples which are categorized based on the nature of the reward and the qualities
it supports.

33 Examples of Positive Reinforcement at Work

Category: Approval, Empowerment/Voice, Growth & Self-efficacy

Never assume that an employee knows he/she is doing a good job. Support self-
efficacy by ‘catching them doing well’ and praising their efforts.

Here are 6 examples:

1. Provide regular positive feedback for quality work

2. Provide opportunities to present work to colleagues
3. Provide opportunities to voice opinions
4. Provide opportunities for advancement
5. Provide flexible work assignments
6. Provide inspiring guest speakers
Category: Monetary/Benefits, Time-Off, Educational Support, Advancement

Whether in the form of salary, benefits, or

paid time-off; the most powerful form of positive reinforcement in the workplace
is money. This being said, monetary compensation is only reinforcing if delivered
in proportion with performance.

Here are 10 examples:

1. Competitive salary
2. Monetary bonus or raise
3. Performance bonuses
4. Education reimbursement
5. Employee discounts
6. Added vacation days
7. Quality health insurance/benefits
8. Paid sick leave
9. Paid parental leave
10.Mental health allowance

Category: Work/life Balance, Emotional Well-being, Health, Socialization,

Family Needs, Office Environment

As employees spend a substantial number of hours at the workplace, creating a

comfortable and motivating space is more important than ever. This category is
perhaps the most individualized, requiring employers to really understand what
motivates their staff.
Here are 17 examples:

1. Flexibility to work at home

2. After work socials or happy hour
3. Onsite daycare services
4. Onsite gym
5. Increased lunch break
6. Travel opportunities
7. Staff celebrations/parties
8. Retreats
9. Free Parking
10.Desirable office space (i.e., private, window, etc.)
11.Desirable building space (i.e., kitchen, recreation area, windows, etc.)
12.Desirable work equipment (i.e., good computer, chair & desk options)
13.Gift cards
14.Pets allowed at the office
15.Free coffee
16.Free meals
17.Flexible dress code

How to Give Positive Reinforcement to Employees

While there is an inexhaustible list of potential workplace reinforcers; however, the

effectiveness of such reinforcers is contingent upon exactly how they are
administered. Interested in achieving performance-enhancing outcomes, clinical
psychologist Aubrey C. Daniels, applied Skinner’s behavioral theory toward the
development of tools aimed at improving workplace motivation and performance.

With his focus on employee behavior, Daniels created a company that applies
positive reinforcement techniques toward the development of tools aimed at
improving work performance. These tools that have achieved worldwide success in
meeting Daniels’ objective.

Daniels’ philosophy and techniques are described in his comprehensive and oft
cited book: Bringing Out the Best in People—How to Apply the Astonishing
Power of Positive Reinforcement (Daniels, 1992). Drawing from Daniels’ work,
Weatherly (2015) describes the following approaches as important reinforcement
tips for the workplace:

8 Tips for Effective Administration of Positive Reinforce Techniques

1. Use individualized reinforcers: As people are unique and thus reinforced by

different things, make sure the reward you are using is meaningful to the
specific employee (e.g., some people find gestures such as taking an
employee to lunch to be highly reinforcing; whereas, others are more
reinforced by monetary rewards such as bonuses or gift cards).

2. Apply reinforcers immediately: As we are all subject to the laws of learning,

it is only when a behavior occurs temporally close to a reward, that the two
will be connected (e.g., if an employee excels during a presentation, he/she
should be rewarded soon afterwards such that the reward is clearly
associated with the presentation).

3. Use various types of reinforcers: Just as people respond well to immediate

gratification, they also require variety in terms of rewards (e.g., if a
supervisor always provides a gift card to the same restaurant, people may
become bored and no longer reinforced by it).

4. Be specific about what you are reinforcing: The employee needs to be fully
aware of the specific behavior being rewarded in order for the reward to
have an effect (e.g., if a supervisor rewards a staff member for his/her
‘success-driven attitude,’ the actual behavior being rewarded may be unclear
to the employee).

5. Avoid linking reinforcement with punishment: When rewards and

punishment are applied simultaneously, they become linked and thus lose
their independent impact (e.g., if a supervisor holds weekly performance
status meetings as a way of rewarding productivity; but also uses the time to
chastise those who are unproductive, the meetings may become deemed as
punishing).
 6. Apply reinforcers consistently and frequently: Reinforcers delivered often
and with consistency are less likely to extinguish (i.e., lose their effect),
particularly in the case of new skills (e.g., a person learning a difficult
computer program will have more motivation to keep trying if he/she is
reinforced consistently and frequently during this process).

7. Connect external reinforcement with computerized feedback: Positive

reinforcement in the form of a computerized graph is useful because it
provides another medium in which behaviors and rewards are cognitively
linked. Such visual aids also enable others in the organization to reinforce an
employee for his/her success (e.g., after an employee earns a high number of
sales during a given quarter, graphing and displaying these results in the
workplace provides both the employee and his/her colleagues with a more
visible and detailed representation of these achievements).

8. Connect external reinforcers with natural reinforcers: While external

reinforcers (e.g., coffee gift cards) are useful for learning new behaviors,
these behaviors are more likely to remain reinforcing if they become linked
to naturally occurring reinforcers (e.g., the self-efficacy and reduced time
commitment that results from learning a new skill). Because an external
reinforcer generally has a point of termination, it is important for naturally
occurring reinforcers to take over. Moreover, natural reinforcers have the
added advantage of requiring little or no additional effort by the supervisor.

Its Effectiveness Compared to Negative Reinforcement

Definitions

People often confuse the terms ‘positive reinforcement’ and ‘negative

reinforcement’ by assuming that the latter term is aimed at reducing a behavior.
This confusion has even prompted some researchers to propose a new terminology
other than ‘positive’ versus ‘negative’ reinforcement (Sidman, 2006). Nonetheless,
the most widely understood definitions are as follows:
  Positive reinforcement involves adding a rewarding stimulus (e.g., a bonus)
in order to increase a positive behavior (e.g., productivity).
 Negative reinforcement involves reducing an aversive stimulus (e.g., a
crowded office setting) in order to increase a positive behavior (e.g.,
productivity).

Importantly, reinforcement – whether positive or negative – always results in an

increased behavioral outcome. Positive reinforcement may feel more intuitive or
natural because it only involves positive, or desirable, conditions and behaviors.

Negative reinforcement, on the other hand, requires that a condition be perceived

as undesirable and amenable to change based on the employee’s behavior. For
example, in order to increase sales for a particular worker, positive or negative
reinforcement (depending upon the particular employee and the job) can be applied
by doing the following:

Because different people are reinforced by different things, rewards must be

valuable to employees in order to be effective. For example, a company with a
number of employees who experience a lengthy daily commute and expensive
parking would likely find free parking and the ability to work at home as highly
reinforcing.

Employers clearly have many opportunities for reinforcement at their disposal;

although the question of whether to employ positive or negative reinforcement
represents another question. In other words: which one is better?
 

Positive and Negative Punishment

Before addressing that question, it is

important to note an additional behavioral approach that is also sometimes
confused with positive and negative reinforcement: positive and negative
punishment.

Punishment occurs when an aversive, or undesirable, stimulus (e.g., extra work

hours, loss of benefits) is used with the goal of reducing an undesirable outcome
(e.g., chronic lateness).

An aversive stimulus that is added represents a positive form of punishment;

whereas, a desirable stimulus that is removed represents a negative form
of punishment. Psychologists generally agree that punishment is not an optimal
approach both because it is often perceived as punitive and disparaging; and
because punishing someone for an undesirable behavior does not involve adding a
desirable behavior to take its place.

And while punishment sometimes has an immediate impact on behavior, such

results are generally short-lived (Naik, 2017).

There is definite face validity for the notion that encouraging an employee to do
what he/she does best (rather than simply discouraging his/her challenge areas) is
the best way to create a motivating environment.

While punishment is clearly not the best bet, the effectiveness of positive versus
negative reinforcement is not as straightforward. Indeed, it depends on the
individual, the situation and the actual reinforcers applied. It is up to leadership to
determine that which most motivates specific employees; a process that will likely
involve some trial and error.

This being said, more opportunities exist for enhancing a positive stimulus in the
workplace, than for reducing a negative one. And, of course, negative
reinforcement is dependent upon a negatively perceived stimulus existing in the
first place. Thus, a work experience in which employees enjoy satisfying
compensation, opportunities for growth, and a pleasant work environment is the
best place to start.

Research and Studies

Positive psychology has become increasingly linked to the study organizational

behavior, with researchers particularly interested in the significance of positive
organizational behavior for enhancing desired work-related outcomes.

The Role of Strengths

This approach involves elucidating and promoting strengths, as opposed to
deficits, among individuals in the workplace. In his review of the pertinent
literature, Luthans (2002, p. 695) defines positive organizational behavior as:

“… the study and application of positively oriented human resource strengths and
psychological capacities that can be measured, developed, and effectively managed
for performance improvement in today’s workplace.”

Along these lines, Luthans describes the psychological concepts of employee hope,
confidence and resiliency as key aspects of positive organizational behavior that
merit continued research (Luthans, 2002).

Incentivizing Performance
In addition to these psychological concepts, researchers have investigated the
correlation between specific workplace incentives and workplace performance. For
example, Condy, Clark and Stolovitch (2008) published a comprehensive meta-
analytic review of workplace incentive studies.

Some of the main findings discovered by Condy et al. (2008) are as follows:
  Incentive programs as a whole were related to a 22% increase in workplace
performance;
 Team-directed incentives were far more strongly related to performance
outcomes than were individually-directed incentives;
 Money was a more powerful predictor of performance as compared to non-
monetary, tangible incentives; and
 Long-term incentive programs were related to larger performance increases
relative to short-term programs (Condy et al., 2008).

Along with this research, there a number of studies that report a significant
relationship between various types of positive reinforcement practices and
positive work outcomes, with ten such examples listed below.

11 Interesting Statistics

1. Companies that encourage growth and provide excellent benefits packages

enjoy high rates of employee satisfaction and minimal attrition (i.e., Google)
(Fortune Editors, 2016).
2. The research literature suggests that adding humor to the workplace is linked
to more cohesive relationships (Cooper, 2018).
3. Allowing employees to bring their dogs to work is related to decreased job
stress and higher job satisfaction (AFP News, 2012).
4. Companies with onsite gyms enjoy less absenteeism and higher productivity
(Spectrum Wellness, 2019).
5. Providing employees with positive recognition or praise results in increased
dopamine levels which promotes employee engagement (Robison, 2006).
6. Purpose-based employee recognition is related to lower turnover, and
stronger organizational results (Gostick & Elton, 2009).
7. Tuition assistance is related to increased employee confidence in job-related
competency, greater job satisfaction, and more motivation to grow
intellectually (Hubble, Mulrooney & Nelesen, 2012).
8. Quality childcare is related to less work-family stress, as well as higher
engagement and productivity (Shellenback, 2009).
 9. Optimistic management style in the workplace is linked to increased
employee engagement and performance (Greenberg & Arakawa, 2006).
10.Employers have reported that workers who are highly engaged in their work
represent a company’s greatest value (Atkinson & Frechette, 2009).
11.A large study of the American workforce indicates that workplace
effectiveness (i.e., workplace flexibility, management decision-making
involvement, positive coworker support, learning opportunities, supervisor
support for success, and job autonomy) is related to overall job satisfaction,
engagement, and retention (Jacob, Bond, Galinsky & Hill, 2008).

Techniques and Strategies for Using Positive Reinforcement with Adults

Positive psychology has played an important role when it comes to increasing

satisfaction, motivation, and productivity in the workplace (Martin, 2005). There
are a number of evidence-based strategies for enhancing each of these outcomes
across three domains: the organization, management, and the individual worker
(see Table 1 in Martin, 2005).

For example, by providing employee recognition and supportive appraisal at the

organizational level, employers are promoting morale and self-efficacy among
staff. Similarly, by supporting the value of work at the individual level, employers
are promoting employee motivation. Leadership experts have provided many
additional strategies for administering positive reinforcement in a way that is
effective, motivating and inspiring (i.e., Lipman, 2017; Luthans, Luthans, &
Hodgetts et al., 2001; Sarros, & Santora, 2001).

Here are 16 examples:

1. Trust & respect: Positive leadership practices reinforce effective behaviors

when delivered by a respected manager within a relationship based on
mutual trust.
2. Realistic optimism: Positive reinforcement is more likely to promote
resilience and competency when delivered in a way that is both optimistic,
as well as realistic given the particular task and required skill level.
3. Inspirational motivation: Positive reinforcement that is linked to an
organization’s values and mission is more likely to inspire and motivate
employees to succeed.
4. Meaningful & sincere feedback: Positive feedback should not be applied
only for the sake of doing so. As employees are often keenly aware of the
sincerity associated with positive feedback, it is essential that such feedback
is truly meaningful and presented with authenticity.
5. Regular feedback: Employees need to feel confident that quality work will
be rewarded on a regular and consistent (e.g., non-random) basis in order for
reinforcement to motivate future behavior.
6. Leadership hope: Positive psychologists suggest that leaders reinforce
positive employee behavior by conveying the underlying message that such
behavior is contributing to a bright and hopeful future.
7. Promote willpower and way power: Hope is most supported when it is
connected to more than the motivation to act in a particular way, but also
when the person perceives him/herself capable of how to get there (e.g.,
‘way power’). In other words, employee self-efficacy is essential for
achieving results in the workplace.
8. Model the desired behaviors: Rewards are far more rewarding when
delivered by a manager who ‘walks the walk’ (e.g., is a role model of
expected behaviors). In this instance, mentoring and coaching are especially
powerful ways to model and reward desired behaviors, as well as to inspire a
sense of purpose.
9. Meaningful reward systems: Meaningful incentives should be used to reward
positive behaviors. These incentives include intangible social reinforcers
(e.g., verbal praise), small token reinforcers (e.g., coffee cards) and large
economic incentives (e.g., travel, bonuses, etc.), depending upon the
individual and the desired outcome. In other words, it is essential that
employees are regarded as individuals who will respond uniquely to
particular reinforcers.
10.Clear communication & expectations: In order to be effective, reinforcement
must be provided such that managers and employees are on the same page in
terms of expectations and outcomes.
11.Intellectual stimulation: Employees are more motivated by tasks that
challenge their intellect and support creativity and problem solving. It is thus
 essential for managers to know their employees well enough to assign
projects that inspire mental stimulation.
12.Meaning behind the message: Positive leadership goes beyond simply
reinforcing behaviors, but also ensures that employees understand the reason
for the message.
13. Good listening: When employees are truly listened to and understood,
managers are better able to identify and encourage individual strengths.
14.Specificity: Reinforcement must always be specific enough that the worker
understands exactly what they’ve done well such that they can repeat this
behavior in the future.
15.Promote teamwork: By reinforcing teamwork behavior, managers set the
stage for continued collaborative behavior that is beneficial both at an
individual and organizational level.
16.Responsibility: By providing workers with responsibility for their
performance, they will be reinforced by a sense a personal empowerment
and accountability.

9 Ideas for Implementing Positive Reinforcement

An excellent source for positive ways to motivate employees is published by

Leadership Management Australasia (2019). Their list of motivators is lengthy and
contains a number of excellent tips for employees or managers interested in
implementing positive reinforcement at work.

For example, they suggest the following approaches:

  Keep a tidy workspace: Excessive clutter interferes with efficiency and
reduces the pleasantness of a workspace. Encourage and reinforce
organization.
 Capture creativity: The authors suggest using tools (i.e., a spreadsheet) to
keep track of creative ideas when they occur.
 Share your skills: Encourage brownbag sessions or other venues in which
coworkers can teach and learn from each other.
 Bring life to your office: For some employees, adding a plant or perhaps a
fish to their office environment is highly rewarding.
 Make lunch matter: Employees are often reinforced by a well-deserved and
enjoyable lunch break.
 Manage personal rewards: There are many unique ways for employees to
rewards themselves throughout the day, such as a latte after completing a
report.
 Don’t be in the dark: The authors suggest that regular exposure to natural
light in the workplace reinforces important emotional- and health-related
motivators.
 Encourage breaks: Employees who get up and walk around support
productivity by keeping themselves feeling energized and clear-headed.
 Support passion in the work: This aspect of positive reinforcement cannot be
understated; as a person who truly cares about and finds meaning in work,
will feel intrinsically rewarded and therefore do a better job. Managers can
help employees to be matched with fulfilling work; and employees can do
themselves a great service by seeking-out that which is personally
meaningful.

25 Reward Ideas for Adults

This article presents numerous rewards for adults in a work setting. Before
describing additional ideas, it is important to reiterate that the nature of a reward
must fit with the interests and needs of the particular employee.
In recent years, companies have become increasingly creative in terms of ways to
create reward rich environments; and, while they aren’t for everyone, some of
these unique ideas might just hit the spot for your workplace:

 In-house massage
 In-house yoga or other fitness classes
 Free beer
 In-house haircuts
 Ping pong, foosball or pool tables
 Potluck socials
 Wine tasting after work
 In-house psychic readings
 Holiday cookie bake-offs
 Air B&B or company condo use
 Concert tickets
 Casual Fridays
 Sports team Fridays
 In-house professional photographers
 Comfy chairs & couches
 Food trucks or candy stripers
 Regular recognition parties
 Family days with kids and spouses
 Dessert bars
 Walking groups at lunch or after hours
 Offsite workspaces
 Free kombucha
 Movie nights
 Standing desks or other ergonomic furniture
 Paid volunteer work

 
A Take-Home Message

In this article, positive reinforcement and related terms are defined; statistics
supporting the benefits of positive reinforcement in the workplace are presented;
and numerous examples of effective workplace rewards are provided. Of course,
Skinner’s operant conditioning theory is also described, as well as the most
effective methods for delivering positive reinforcement techniques in the
workplace.

The most important take-aways from this article are as follows:

 Positive reinforcement is an extremely powerful, evidence-based tool that

enhances productivity and morale in the workplace.
 Positive reinforcement always results in an increased behavioral outcome.
 Positive reinforcement must be applied correctly (i.e., immediately) in order
to be effective.
 Positive reinforcement and effective leadership techniques go hand-in-hand.
 There are many ways to use positive reinforcement in the workplace, but the
particular method used must be individualized to the specific interests and
needs of the employee.
 Never assume that an employee knows he/she is appreciated – reward good
behaviors explicitly and regularly.

By applying the powerful strategies outlined here, employers are well on their way
toward creating rewarding, inspiring and productive work climates. Wishing you
many happy rewards!

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three
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Virtual and Traditional Teams

Virtual Teams vs Traditional Teams
In the current hypercompetitive and fast-paced times, many innovations become
obsolete before they could leave R&D labs and see the sun. Therefore,
organizations are vying for faster turnaround time to widen their markets and
customer base. This calls for constant improvements in their working
methodologies. With the growing sophistication in Information and
Communication Technologies (ICT), many organizations are exploring the virtual
platform to bring together the diverse talents and expertise, available across the
globe to build world-class teams.

Quite simply, a team is a group of individuals working together to achieve a

common pre-defined goal. While the traditional teams, also known as
conventional or co-located or collocated teams, consist of individuals working
in physical proximity, the virtual teams refers to a group of individuals who
are separated by physical distance but are united by a shared goal. Generally,
the virtual teams consist of talent across geographies, cultures and time zones. The
interactions among the members of a virtual team are mediated by the Information
and Communication Technology (ICT) tools.

Though both traditional and virtual teams go through the five stages of Bruce
Tuckman’s model of team development but the dynamics experienced by the
members of virtual teams are more complex. This is largely due to the fact that
members of virtual team rely solely on electronic communication and collaboration
technology to facilitate interactions among them. Also the cultural boundaries and
time zones differences add to its complex nature. For a virtual team the challenges
experienced by a traditional team increases manifold. Some of the key differences
between traditional and virtual teams are as following;

 Selection of Team Members - In case of traditional teams, members are

largely selected based on their functional skills. But performing in a virtual
team environment is not easy for everyone. Lack of face-to-face interactions
and social focus in a virtual setting might lead to isolation and loneliness. It
calls for managing ambiguity, proactive networking, exceptional time
management and work discipline, ability to learn new technologies, and the
ability to collaborate across functional and cultural boundaries. So, in the
 selection of a virtual team member, there is a need to look into these core
competencies in addition to the basic functional skills.
 Organization Structure - Compared to the traditional teams, virtual teams
support flatter organization structure with dim lines of authorities and
hierarchies. This is required to survive in hypercompetitive market, deliver
results faster and encourage creativity - which are actually the primary
objectives for forming a virtual team.
 Leadership Style - In virtual team setting, managers cannot physically
control the day-to-day activities and monitor each team members’ activities,
therefore they need to delegate little more as compared to traditional teams.
The command and control leadership style of yester years is giving way to
the more democratic and coaching style of today.
 Knowledge Exchange & Decision-taking - Many a times in traditional
teams, information is being exchanged during informal discussions. But in
case of virtual teams, members have a very limited or no informal access to
the information. Hence there is a need for more frequent updates on project
status and building a shared database to provide all the important
information to the team. Considering the time zone differences in global
virtual teams, it becomes difficult to schedule meetings. Thus in case of
virtual teams many a times delay occurs in fixing a problem or reaching a
consensus, whereas in traditional teams a meeting can be called at any time
of the day when all the members are present together in the office, resulting
quick decisions and problem solving.
 Relationship Building - When traditional team members meet in the
workplace every day they tend to develop close social ties with each other.
They strike rapport with each other when they interact face-to-face. In the
virtual team the interactions are tend to be more task-focused. Further, lack
of verbal cues and gestures in virtual setting does not allow any scope for
personal touch in the communication.
 Psychological Contract - The foundation of psychological contract is more
fragile in the virtual environment. Smaller instances of misunderstanding or
gaps in communication result in violation of the psychological contract
which has negative effects on the team’s effectiveness. Virtual teams also
experience difficulties in building trust, cohesion and commitment among its
members.
 Considering the challenges posed by the virtual teams, it is necessary to pay
special attention to the communication, collaboration and cultural issues.
Organizations should follow a distinct management approach which focuses on
building trust and cohesion amongst the virtual team members to harness the
advantages of a successful virtual team.

What Are the Benefits of Virtual Teams?

So why are virtual teams becoming so popular?

Here’s a breakdown of all the benefits of virtual teams:

1. They’re More Cost-Efficient

One of the key advantages of virtual teams is that they can be far more cost-
effective than maintaining an in-office team. Why? You won’t have to spend on
costs like:

 Office rent and maintenance

 Utilities like electricity and wifi

 Office equipment like computers, servers and desks

 Transport for employees

 The list goes on!

As most virtual or remote employees work from their home offices, they’re
responsible for most of these costs — helping you take advantage of tons of cost
savings!

The only things you’ll probably have to spend on are software that your employees
need to perform the task efficiently. But as these cloud-based SaaS tools are very
affordable, you’ll still be saving a lot!
2. Global Talent Pool
One of the best things about virtual teams is that you’re not location-limited when
it comes to talent. Why?

As your team doesn’t have to work in the same office, they don’t need to be based
in the same location. You can hire anyone from anywhere in the world to form
your virtual global team! How does this help?

As you can hire people from all over the world, you don’t have to settle for
employees living and operating in the same city as you.

Additionally, you can benefit from hiring virtual employees from less expensive
countries with lower salaries like the Philippines and India. This way, you can get
quality talent for far less!

3. Easily Scalable
When your company grows, you need to scale up your operations.

And in order to scale up, you need to hire new employees!

Sounds easy, doesn’t it?

It isn’t.

Scaling up your business by hiring more employees comes with tons of other
conditions:

 You would need more office space

 You would have to put in more desks and chairs or setup cubicles

 Need to provide more office supplies, refreshments and so on

However, if you hire virtual employees, you won’t face this issue!

As these are remote workers who take care of their own:

 Work environment

 Equipment

 Utilities

You won’t have to spend any additional money on providing these things to them.
You can quickly hire as many employees as you need without worrying about
disrupting your existing employee offerings!

4. Round The Clock Availability

As virtual employees are not location-limited, you can hire them across the world.

And that means you can hire virtual employees across different time zones.

And how does this help?

Hiring people from different geographical zones makes sure that your company
operates 24×7!

For example, your virtual employees in Manila can start their workday once your
employees in San Francisco call it a day.

This way, you can provide a 24×7 service without overworking anyone!

5. Happier, More Productive Employees

The benefits of virtual teams aren’t limited to the company.
Working in a virtual team benefits the employees as well!

How does it benefit the employees?

They can:

 Save time by not having to commute every day to and from work

 Use that extra time to stay healthier – by exercising, eating healthier meals –
which also increase productivity

 Take advantage of flexible work hours and work during their most
productive hours

Makes sense, right?

But that isn’t all.

As your employees will be happier, they’ll be more satisfied with their jobs. And
when they’re more satisfied, they’ll have increased productivity!

And increased productivity means more profits!

6. Healthy Work-Life Balance

Why do you think employees are more satisfied when working remotely?

It’s because they can maintain a more healthy work-life balance by working in a

virtual environment.

Flexible work hours allow your employees to have better control of their life.

They can:
  Spend more time around their family

 Maintain a healthy lifestyle by working out at home or doing yoga

 Utilize their leisure hours for hobbies

And now with COVID-19 disrupting work activities everywhere, virtual

employees can seamlessly balance their work and home activities!

7. More Relevant Meetings

Conducting meetings with in-office employees is very easy but it might not be the
best thing for your business productivity. Why?

As it’s quite easy to conduct these meetings, teams tend to have them very
frequently!

And in most cases, you don’t actually need a meeting for what you wanted to
discuss. A simple email or message would have been enough.

These unnecessary meetings take away valuable time from your human resources
and can drain their productivity. How?

They’re wasting tons of time and effort on pointless meetings instead of actual
work!

However, you won’t face this issue with a virtual team.

As your team could be scattered across the globe, there are only a select few hours
when everyone is available. This forces your team to really think before scheduling
a meeting – ensuring that it’s always relevant and essential. Worried that this
makes conducting meetings difficult? Don’t be!
There are tons of video calling apps that make conducting face-to-face interactions
a piece-of-cake. It’s almost like being in an in-office meeting — without any of the
unproductivity!

How to Manage Your Virtual Team Easily?

Sure, virtual teams come with tons of benefits.

However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any drawbacks to telecommuting.

As you’re not in the same office as them, you could face issues with:

 Communication

 Project management

 Productivity

 File sharing and storage

Does that mean virtual teams are doomed? No!

Luckily, you have tons of tools that can solve all these problems for you!

Here’s a closer look at what you need:

A. Communication Tools
Your virtual team could be thousands of miles away.

So how do you communicate with them effectively?

Simple: Use communication tools!

These communication technology tools help you easily exchange information with
your virtual team via text or audio and video calls. This way, effective remote team
collaboration is just a click away!

1. Messaging Tools

For quick queries and suggestions, use instant messaging tools like Slack or
Microsoft teams.

Slack helps you:

 Message team members to clarify doubts and communicate updates

 Organize your conversations into channels for more ordered conversations

 Share files and documents to boost team collaboration

2. Video-calling Tools

While instant messaging tools help you clarify quick doubts, sometimes, you need
more detailed discussions.

For those cases, use video conferencing tools instead!

These tools will help you conduct video meetings where you can interact with your
virtual team and collaborate over projects and issues quickly. It’s also a great way
to beat feelings of isolation that are usually associated with working virtually.
How?

As you’re putting a face to the people you work with, you actually feel like you’re
part of a team instead of a lone worker!
Tools like Google Hangouts and Zoom help you:

 Conduct virtual face interactions with individuals or groups

 Share your screen to communicate issues and updates more easily

 Record meetings/interviews for future reference

B. Project Management Tools

When your project team isn’t in the same office as you, how do you get them on
the same page?

These tools will help you organize all your project activities into one, unified
space. This way, everyone has access to all the project information and can easily
collaborate to get things done together.

Tools like ClickUp and Wrike let you:

 Organize and track tasks or projects

 Assign due dates to keep up with deadlines

 Share file attachments, comments within a task

 Track each virtual team member’s project contributions

C. Performance Monitoring Tools

There’s one reason why many companies are still apprehensive about remote work.
As your team is working virtually, how do you ensure that they’re being
productive? How will you:

 Monitor the activities they perform during work hours?

  Keep track of the sites and apps they visit?

 Verify that they’re actively working and aren’t wasting time?

All you need is a performance monitoring tool like Time Doctor!

What is Time Doctor?

Time Doctor is a powerful performance monitoring software used by large

companies like PwC and Verizon as well as SMBs like Firehouse Subs.

How does it help you?

 You can go through detailed tracking reports for insights on how much time
your employees worked in a day, how much time certain projects took and
so on

 It has built-in distraction management features that deter your virtual

employees from accessing unproductive sites and apps

 The inactivity tracker prevents virtual employees from marking idle time as
time worked

 Time Doctor also comes with encrypted data transfer (HTTPS), powerful
password management and email verification to keep your tracking data
safe.

D. Scheduling Tools
With your team scattered around the globe and across various time zones, how do
you coordinate? With the help of scheduling tools!
These scheduling tools will get your entire team on the same page to help you
work out times when all of you can get together for project work or a quick team
meeting. Tools like Doodle and Calendly help you:

 Schedule virtual team meetings or client appointments

 Set reminders to keep everything on track

Additionally, Doodle and Calendly can integrate with:

 Popular calendar apps like Google Calendar to instantly update your team’s
calendars

 Zoom and Slack to quickly set up meetings

E. Document Management Tools

Here’s another problem that most virtual teams face: As you’re not in the same
office, how do you carefully store and access files and documents?

Cloud storage platforms like Google Drive and Dropbox help you address these
issues. You can use them to store important projects and company docs online.
Your virtual team can then access them and update them!

Worried that someone’s going to access an old version of a document? Don’t be!

Whenever one of these docs is updated, everyone gets access to the latest version
of the file – ensuring that everyone’s up-to-date! You can even customize who gets
access to these stored files for even more security!

Nonverbal Communication and Body Language

Your facial expressions, gestures, posture, and tone of voice are powerful
communication tools. Here’s how to read and use body language to build
better relationships at home and work.

What is body language?

While the key to success in both personal and professional relationships lies in
your ability to communicate well, it’s not the words that you use but your
nonverbal cues or “body language” that speak the loudest. Body language is the
use of physical behavior, expressions, and mannerisms to communicate
nonverbally, often done instinctively rather than consciously.

Whether you’re aware of it or not, when you interact with others, you’re
continuously giving and receiving wordless signals. All of your nonverbal
behaviors—the gestures you make, your posture, your tone of voice, how much
eye contact you make—send strong messages. They can put people at ease, build
trust, and draw others towards you, or they can offend, confuse, and undermine
what you’re trying to convey. These messages don’t stop when you stop speaking
either. Even when you’re silent, you’re still communicating nonverbally.

In some instances, what comes out of your mouth and what you communicate
through your body language may be two totally different things. If you say one
thing, but your body language says something else, your listener will likely feel
that you’re being dishonest. If you say “yes” while shaking your head no, for
example. When faced with such mixed signals, the listener has to choose whether
to believe your verbal or nonverbal message. Since body language is a natural,
unconscious language that broadcasts your true feelings and intentions, they’ll
likely choose the nonverbal message.

However, by improving how you understand and use nonverbal communication,

you can express what you really mean, connect better with others, and build
stronger, more rewarding relationships.
The importance of nonverbal communication

Your nonverbal communication cues—the way you listen, look, move, and react—
tell the person you’re communicating with whether or not you care, if you’re being
truthful, and how well you’re listening. When your nonverbal signals match up
with the words you’re saying, they increase trust, clarity, and rapport. When they
don’t, they can generate tension, mistrust, and confusion.

If you want to become a better communicator, it’s important to become more

sensitive not only to the body language and nonverbal cues of others, but also to
your own.

Nonverbal communication can play five roles:

 Repetition: It repeats and often strengthens the message you’re making
verbally.

 Contradiction: It can contradict the message you’re trying to convey,

thus indicating to your listener that you may not be telling the truth.

 Substitution: It can substitute for a verbal message. For example, your

facial expression often conveys a far more vivid message than words ever
can.

 Complementing: It may add to or complement your verbal message. As a

boss, if you pat an employee on the back in addition to giving praise, it
can increase the impact of your message.

 Accenting: It may accent or underline a verbal message. Pounding the

table, for example, can underline the importance of your message.

Types of nonverbal communication

The many different types of nonverbal communication or body language include:

Facial expressions. The human face is extremely expressive, able to convey

countless emotions without saying a word. And unlike some forms of nonverbal
communication, facial expressions are universal. The facial expressions for
happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear, and disgust are the same across cultures.

Body movement and posture. Consider how your perceptions of people are

affected by the way they sit, walk, stand, or hold their head. The way you move
and carry yourself communicates a wealth of information to the world. This type of
nonverbal communication includes your posture, bearing, stance, and the subtle
movements you make.

Gestures. Gestures are woven into the fabric of our daily lives. You may wave,
point, beckon, or use your hands when arguing or speaking animatedly, often
expressing yourself with gestures without thinking. However, the meaning of some
gestures can be very different across cultures. While the “OK” sign made with the
hand, for example, usually conveys a positive message in English-speaking
countries, it’s considered offensive in countries such as Germany, Russia, and
Brazil. So, it’s important to be careful of how you use gestures to avoid
misinterpretation.

Eye contact. Since the visual sense is dominant for most people, eye contact is an
especially important type of nonverbal communication. The way you look at
someone can communicate many things, including interest, affection, hostility, or
attraction. Eye contact is also important in maintaining the flow of conversation
and for gauging the other person’s interest and response.

Touch. We communicate a great deal through touch. Think about the very
different messages given by a weak handshake, a warm bear hug, a patronizing pat
on the head, or a controlling grip on the arm, for example.

Space. Have you ever felt uncomfortable during a conversation because the other
person was standing too close and invading your space? We all have a need for
physical space, although that need differs depending on the culture, the situation,
and the closeness of the relationship. You can use physical space to communicate
many different nonverbal messages, including signals of intimacy and affection,
aggression or dominance.
Voice. It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it. When you speak, other
people “read” your voice in addition to listening to your words. Things they pay
attention to include your timing and pace, how loud you speak, your tone and
inflection, and sounds that convey understanding, such as “ahh” and “uh-huh.”
Think about how your tone of voice can indicate sarcasm, anger, affection, or
confidence.

Can nonverbal communication be faked?

There are many books and websites that offer advice on how to use body language
to your advantage. For example, they may instruct you on how to sit a certain way,
steeple your fingers, or shake hands in order to appear confident or assert
dominance. But the truth is that such tricks aren’t likely to work (unless you truly
feel confident and in charge). That’s because you can’t control all of the signals
you’re constantly sending about what you’re really thinking and feeling. And the
harder you try, the more unnatural your signals are likely to come across.

However, that doesn’t mean that you have no control over your nonverbal cues.
For example, if you disagree with or dislike what someone’s saying, you may use
negative body language to rebuff the person’s message, such as crossing your
arms, avoiding eye contact, or tapping your feet. You don’t have to agree, or even
like what’s being said, but to communicate effectively and not put the other person
on the defensive, you can make a conscious effort to avoid sending negative
signals—by maintaining an open stance and truly attempting to understand what
they’re saying, and why.

How nonverbal communication can go wrong

What you communicate through your body language and nonverbal signals affects
how others see you, how well they like and respect you, and whether or not they
trust you. Unfortunately, many people send confusing or negative nonverbal
signals without even knowing it. When this happens, both connection and trust in
relationships are damaged, as the following examples highlight:
Jack

believes he gets along great with his colleagues at work, but if you were to ask any
of them, they would say that Jack is “intimidating” and “very intense.” Rather than
just look at you, he seems to devour you with his eyes. And if he takes your hand,
he lunges to get it and then squeezes so hard it hurts. Jack is a caring guy who
secretly wishes he had more friends, but his nonverbal awkwardness keeps people
at a distance and limits his ability to advance at work.

Arlene

is attractive and has no problem meeting eligible men, but she has a difficult time
maintaining a relationship for longer than a few months. Arlene is funny and
interesting, but even though she constantly laughs and smiles, she radiates tension.
Her shoulders and eyebrows are noticeably raised, her voice is shrill, and her body
is stiff. Being around Arlene makes many people feel anxious and uncomfortable.
Arlene has a lot going for her that is undercut by the discomfort she evokes in
others.

Ted

thought he had found the perfect match when he met Sharon, but Sharon wasn’t so
sure. Ted is good looking, hardworking, and a smooth talker, but seemed to care
more about his thoughts than Sharon’s. When Sharon had something to say, Ted
was always ready with wild eyes and a rebuttal before she could finish her thought.
This made Sharon feel ignored, and soon she started dating other men. Ted loses
out at work for the same reason. His inability to listen to others makes him
unpopular with many of the people he most admires.

These smart, well-intentioned people struggle in their attempt to connect with

others. The sad thing is that they are unaware of the nonverbal messages they
communicate.

If you want to communicate effectively, avoid misunderstandings, and enjoy solid,

trusting relationships both socially and professionally, it’s important to understand
how to use and interpret body language and improve your nonverbal
communication skills.

How to improve nonverbal communication

Nonverbal communication is a rapidly flowing back-and-forth process that requires

your full focus on the moment-to-moment experience. If you’re planning what
you’re going to say next, checking your phone, or thinking about something else,
you’re almost certain to miss nonverbal cues and not fully understand the subtleties
of what’s being communicated. As well as being fully present, you can improve
how you communicate nonverbally by learning to manage stress and developing
your emotional awareness.

Learn to manage stress in the moment

Stress compromises your ability to communicate. When you’re stressed out, you’re
more likely to misread other people, send confusing or off-putting nonverbal
signals, and lapse into unhealthy knee-jerk patterns of behavior. And remember:
emotions are contagious. If you are upset, it is very likely to make others upset,
thus making a bad situation worse.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by stress, take a time out. Take a moment to calm
down before you jump back into the conversation. Once you’ve regained your
emotional equilibrium, you’ll feel better equipped to deal with the situation in a
positive way.

The fastest and surest way to calm yourself and manage stress in the moment is to
employ your senses—what you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch—or through a
soothing movement. By viewing a photo of your child or pet, smelling a favorite
scent, listening to a certain piece of music, or squeezing a stress ball, for example,
you can quickly relax and refocus. Since everyone responds differently, you may
need to experiment to find the sensory experience that works best for you.

Develop your emotional awareness

In order to send accurate nonverbal cues, you need to be aware of your emotions
and how they influence you. You also need to be able to recognize the emotions of
others and the true feelings behind the cues they are sending. This is
where emotional awareness comes in.

Being emotionally aware enables you to:

 Accurately read other people, including the emotions they’re feeling and
the unspoken messages they’re sending.

 Create trust in relationships by sending nonverbal signals that match up

with your words.

 Respond in ways that show others that you understand and care.

Many of us are disconnected from our emotions—especially strong emotions such

as anger, sadness, fear—because we’ve been taught to try to shut off our feelings.
But while you can deny or numb your feelings, you can’t eliminate them. They’re
still there and they’re still affecting your behavior. By developing your emotional
awareness and connecting with even the unpleasant emotions, though, you’ll gain
greater control over how you think and act. To start developing your emotional
awareness, practice the mindfulness meditation in HelpGuide’s free Emotional
Intelligence Toolkit.

How to read body language?

Once you’ve developed your abilities to manage stress and recognize emotions,
you’ll start to become better at reading the nonverbal signals sent by others. It’s
also important to:

Pay attention to inconsistencies. Nonverbal communication should reinforce

what is being said. Is the person saying one thing, but their body language
conveying something else? For example, are they telling you “yes” while shaking
their head no?

Look at nonverbal communication signals as a group. Don’t read too much into

a single gesture or nonverbal cue. Consider all of the nonverbal signals you are
receiving, from eye contact to tone of voice and body language. Taken together,
are their nonverbal cues consistent—or inconsistent—with what their words are
saying?

Trust your instincts. Don’t dismiss your gut feelings. If you get the sense that
someone isn’t being honest or that something isn’t adding up, you may be picking
up on a mismatch between verbal and nonverbal cues.

Evaluating nonverbal signals

Eye contact – Is the person making eye contact? If so, is it overly intense or just
right?

Facial expression – What is their face showing? Is it masklike and unexpressive,

or emotionally present and filled with interest?

Tone of voice – Does the person’s voice project warmth, confidence, and interest,
or is it strained and blocked?

Posture and gesture – Is their body relaxed or stiff and immobile? Are their
shoulders tense and raised, or relaxed?

Touch – Is there any physical contact? Is it appropriate to the situation? Does it

make you feel uncomfortable?

Intensity – Does the person seem flat, cool, and disinterested, or over-the-top and
melodramatic?

Timing and place – Is there an easy flow of information back and forth? Do
nonverbal responses come too quickly or too slowly?

Sounds – Do you hear sounds that indicate interest, caring or concern from the
person?

onest feedback is an essential part of the communication mechanism, being a way

to help colleagues to learn and grow in their field inside the company. Its
importance is also backed up by science: many studies have shown that the most
efficient teams are those in which there is appreciative communication. For many
 team members, feedback can be a good motivator to improve and engage more in
the company’s goals. But what are the strategies that help you provide truly
constructive feedback?

Summary:

1. Importance of feedback in the communication process: Types of feedback

and which one is the best
2. Why is feedback critical to the communication process in the workplace?

 Importance of feedback in the communication process

Feedback is a tool that can help people evaluate themselves and their work and
also how others perceive them. While employees and students need to receive
feedback, it’s also essential for leaders who believe in growth to ask for an
evaluation, to give an example, and be an inspiration for them.  

A Harvard study revealed that most members of a team appreciate honest

evaluation –  more than 70% of the participants said that they think work
productivity and performance would grow if employers provided feedback.
Moreover, more than half of them agreed that constructive evaluation it’s better
than just highlighting successes and qualities. 

Offering feedback professionally will increase the effects of communication,

whether you are a manager, team member, student, or colleague. Therefore, in
the culture of feedback, evaluation should be used permanently, both in
professional and personal life. 

There are four types of feedback, as follows:

 Formal feedback – many companies adopt this type of feedback, being

used for evaluating productivity for a given time. Its structure is simple and
objective, giving both the managers and employees the chance to talk about things
that can be improved in their work and ways of communicating;
 Evaluative feedback is a way to describe an individual’s behavior and has
beneficial results only when it’s positive. This type of feedback is not always
recommended, because it can sometimes be perceived as being too personal;  

 Prescriptive feedback comes under the form of advice and is more of a way

of telling the individual how to correct their way of working. Although this type of
feedback can be useful in the early stages, such as training, it can also be a way to
avoid offering a constructive opinion about the individual’s work;

 Descriptive feedback – as the name implies, this feedback is used to

describe the effects of an individual’s action, which leads to the presentation of a
relevant opinion. Thus, descriptive feedback is considered as being the best form
of evaluation in the workplace, but also in other fields, such as education and
science. To be motivated, especially when working for someone else, team
members need to feel appreciated, even when improvements need to be made. A
proven way to provide good feedback is by combining the necessary
recommendations with the quality of their work, in order to conclude on a positive
note about the evaluated person. 
 2. Why is feedback critical to the communication process in the workplace

The power of good feedback comes from the fact that it can change certain
behaviors and allows the other person to receive a realistic perspective on his
action. Therefore, feedback is constructive only when it’s focusing on the work
and actions of an individual. For example, if you are a manager and you want an
employer to know what you think about a certain project, try to highlight the issues
based on those tasks and nothing more. In other words, the feedback must be
descriptive, not evaluative! With Mirro, you can motivate your colleagues and
team members by creating a feedback culture with an advanced management tool
that is cheap and easy to use! Contact our team of professionals and choose the
right plan for you!

Therefore, feedback is essential at the workplace because:

 It motivates 

A recent research on work productivity showed that 4 in 10 employees do not

involve as much in the goals of the company when not given regular feedback. So,
 managers need to make sure that their team members will be evaluated correctly
and regularly. This way, people will feel valued and more motivated to do a good
job;

 Improves efficiency

Feedback is not advice, neither criticism, but sometimes, if it’s not formulated
properly, it can be interpreted as being negative. So, it’s crucial to explain the
importance of feedback in the communication process to the team members, so
they can always be open to receive it positively. If it’s consistent, the descriptive
feedback can help individuals work on their mistakes and find ways to be more
efficient and productive;

 Encourages active listening

Feedback sessions are just as important as transparent communication between

team members. Thus, the participants must not only be honest, but also pay
attention to the information they are getting. It’s better to receive and offer
feedback face-to-face, because it gives the individual the opportunity to ask
questions where ideas need more details or clarifications.

Feedback must not be based on a subjective opinion or imposed on others from a

higher hierarchical position, but needs to be anchored in a clear context and always
justified. Therefore, the value of feedback is undeniable. When it is used properly,
it can help people grow and improve or see themselves in a different light, but can
also be a tool for companies to evolve and reach their goals. With Mirro, you can
reach these goals and achieve your mission through performance and innovation –
get an offer now!