Blog Topics
Looking for something specific? The following topics address a wide range of business needs and challenges.
Prosthetic Environments: Optimizing the Talent Around Us
ADI’s mission has and will always be to help people and organizations apply the scientifically-proven laws of human behavior to optimize performance. We are excited to announce the launch of The…
Surveys: You Get What You Give
We recently put Surveys to the test on our website. We polled our clients to find out if they felt that Employee Surveys were worth their time. With more than 50% of the vote, clients…
Positive Reinforcement is Everywhere – Including Sitcoms!
It doesn’t surprise me when I see examples of positive reinforcement popping up around me. The Holidays are always a time to see it displayed to good effect. Thanksgiving, in fact, is a holiday…
Class Dojo Kicks Measurement Into High Gear
It used to be that I was impressed when I learned of a new technology developed to help better manage behavior. Now it seems that if you think it, one already exists. Although this new classroom…
Hallelujah! A Step Forward at Last!
Something worth sharing from my good friend Verne Harnish’s blog: People are the #1 Challenge -- surveying audiences around the globe, including the 500 CEOs and executives attending the October 2012…
13 Things that Scare the Devil Out of Me!
1. Managers who try to change “attitude” without pinpointing specific behaviors
2. Authors who attribute performance problems to lack of “intrinsic motivation”
3. Economists who act as though they…
Even Poor Performers Have Time to Improve Before the Annual Performance Review
It’s inevitable. And, as much as I suggest that the annual review process be ousted, organizations will not let them go. So I will put aside my reasons for why annual reviews are a bad idea and…
Praising the Boss on Boss’s Day? Not so Fast.
Patricia Bays Haroski who worked for her father in a State Farm Insurance Agency in Deerfield, IL, registered October 16 as Boss's Day with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 1958. She chose October 16…
Buy-In is Overrated
A big mistake leaders make when implementing change is spending too much time trying to get buy-in.This well intentioned approach not only delays getting to the change that matters but creates severe…
It’s Budget Season! Let the Waste of Time and Money Begin
“{The corporate budgeting process} sucks the energy, time, fun, and big dreams out of an organization. It hides opportunity and stunts growth. It brings out the most unproductive behaviors in an…
Back to School Basics: Some Counter-Cultural Advice
Who shouldn’t like this time of year? Many parents like it because their children will actually be in school for a number of hours during the work week, providing a needed break from childcare…
Finding the Positive Deviant at Work
Last weekend I attended the Behavior Change for a Sustainable World conference sponsored by the Association for Behavior Analysis International. The sessions delivered during this 3-day event were…
PSU Sanctions: What’s a New Coach to Do?
As the NCAA delivered its sentence to Penn State University and its football team last week, it’s natural to think about those who will be most affected by the consequences; the players and their new…
Driving Me Crazy Yet Again: Valuing Personal Opinion Over Scientific Fact
I thought patience was supposed to come with age. However, the older I get the more impatient I have become and every day I see or read something that drives me crazy. The latest was a short article…
Making Today Connect With Year End: Now’s the Time
Are you frustrated when desired change doesn’t stick? Creating sustainable and accelerated change requires a daily focus. How then do we connect our todays with the end of the year?…
Are Fires Running Your Organization?
I’m amazed at the epidemic of firefighting that has taken over organizations. Stretched organizations are asking people to do more with less and to maintain or grow the business, yet these same…
Ask Aubrey: Insanely Simple or Just Insane?
Here's a recent question that came to me via Twitter
Question:
[SIC] What is your take on this quote from the book Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple's Success by Ken Segall…
Who Really Bats 1000 Anyway and Why Change Efforts Fail
Let’s start with what you have. If leaders were to use baseball-style measures of success, most would agree that batting 1000 is unheard of, and batting 500 is also an unlikely target. Most would…