Does your team fine individuals for infractions; such as being late to meetings?
Rather than fining individuals, would more behavioral change happen if the entire team was fined?
I participate in a basketball clinic every week. It’s a mix of guys who love playing hoops despite their increasing age. After doing a series of exercises that fatigue everyone’s legs, each person shoots a free throw. If less than 80% of the participants make their free throw, everyone runs lines (sprints) which, on top of the exercises we have already done, is painful. The drill is repeated until the desired percentage is met. When we satisfy of goal, we do an activity that everyone enjoys—scrimmaging.
I’ve noticed several key things happen during this drill—I encourage other participants to make their shot; I am pleased when they make their shot; I concentrate more on my shot because I don’t want to let my teammates down; and I feel like other participants have a similar view.
The drill connects me tightly with the other participants. A penalty imposed on individuals wouldn’t.
I have never seen this kind of team reinforcement done in the corporate environment. It seems much different to me than fining individuals, which I have never been a fan of. When the opportunity presents itself, I plan to experiment with this method.
I believe cooperation increases when the members of a team all have skin in the game. This method reconnects the members of a team with others who have disconnected themselves from their responsibilities as teammates. People who are truly members of the team will take action to fix the disconnect.
Do you have experience using this kind of reinforcement? Please share your experience with me.
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