Weekly Psyche

Looking for the reinforcer – that’s what we do as parents, teachers, caregivers and leaders of industry: CEO’s and CFO’s. We look for the reinforcer. It was interesting sitting at a meeting with individuals that all earn over six figures a year, a group of them. The management was discussing a higher performance and a higher success and I asked them: “what do you think would motivate you to want to do something different, to do more, to produce more?” Two of them stood up: “we like the envelope board!”

The envelope board is a cork board, that everybody has in their house somewhere, where they post messages or pin a picture. In this case, they pin sealed envelopes, and each sealed envelope has a different amount of money. As each salesperson produces something extra, however we define it, they’re able to go to the cork board and choose any envelope of mystery that they want. They strive to achieve their next goal in order to participate in the mystery of chance. As they produce something ‘extra’, their behavior is reinforced.

Sometimes at the end of the week you want something special from your offspring; you want them to get a higher grade, you want them to do the chores that they agreed to do or to express a certain attitude. You could have your little tyke select an envelope the next time they do a desired action. In fact, I am heading to a nursing home right now and I will be discussing some behavioral changes that would probably work better with the patient and the staff and when it’s done, I’m going to suggest that the staff present three envelopes on a tray that the patient can choose from.

Whether it’s a child, the elderly, the magnets of industry, caregivers, teachers, doctors and also you, mom and dad, we are all looking for the reinforcer. This is your Weekly Dr. B reminding you that, We are not alone.

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