Here’s a quick read with an overall ‘light’ message.
I read an article* recently in which the authors were making the point that people make greater progress when they concentrate on what they are doing well rather than dwelling on their mistakes.
To make the case, the authors cited a research study conducted at The University of Wisconsin (UW) back in 1982. The study was looking for insights on the adult learning process. In the study, two bowling teams reviewed videos of their performance. One team watched only clips highlighting its errors, while the other viewed video of only its successful shots. Although both teams improved after reviewing the footage, the team that focused on its successes improved by roughly twice as much.
Gee, that seems simple. Who would have thought a bowling alley and a video camera could shine such a light on behavior and performance?
The findings of the study revealed that at least in the case of the two bowling teams, an emphasis on mistakes can foster discouragement, defensiveness, and resistance. This in turn translates to less improvement. On the other hand, recognizing and building on successes can strengthen confidence, spark creativity, and increase motivation to improve. In this scenario, subsequent results demonstrated greater levels of improvement.
Makes sense; doesn’t it?
To be fair, it’s healthy – and even necessary – to call out shortcomings. That’s what the red is for in those red-yellow-green dashboard reports. To avoid calling out mistakes or shortcomings is a recipe for mediocrity. I think we all get that.
The UW study is not telling us to avoid speaking about mistakes or weaknesses. Rather, it is telling us as leaders not to dwell on those mistakes. We should not harp on our team’s shortcoming or convey that our team is all about mistakes. All that negative reinforcement gets in the head, and sooner or later underperformance becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The takeaway: leaders are wise to concentrate on what a team is doing well vs. dwelling on its mistakes. Sounds like good parenting advice as well!
*Source: McKinsey Quarterly; The CEO’s role in leading transformation, co-authored by Carolyn Aiken and Scott Keller.
#leadership #leadership speaker