Outage positive reinforcement

[darkmatter]

The latest "buzz" concept is outage behavior modification through positive reinforcement.

The current site I'm working for has as their behavior modification a process where as a supervisor or manager witnessing good work behavior will issue a coupon "at-a-boy" with a outage slogan theme. The worker redeems this for a reward----When the coupon is turned in the worker gets to select from a cabinet his choice of candy, with the coupon put in a raffle to be drawn at the end of the outage for a TV, ipod, or other gizmo.

This reminds me of how I train my dog with a pat on the head with a toss of kibble along with the phrase "good boy"

What do you think?

[Content1]

The positive reinforcement for doing a job right is you keep your job.

[BetaAnt]

It will only work if properly applied. So many sites (commercial and DOE) will exempt or limit rent-a-techs and other subs from the process. The r-a-t may get the kibble but not the iPod. 
Some sites (supervisors) may stuff the ballot box with his friends, but that would be cynical. 

Good idea in practice, but lacks the appropriate checks and balances. 

BA 

[RDTroja]

When you pay me what I'm worth I can buy my own dam candy,....

Bingo.

[Jeff J]

One outage I scored a free ham.  It was a proud day for me.

[Chimera]

In my humble opinion, too many of these "outage positive reinforcement" awards are handed out for doing the job that was I hired to do.  I once received an "outage award" for always wearing my PPE.  Of course, that individual wasn't there when I got a handful of splinters and learned the hard way to always wear my PPE.  Besides, I didn't take the job to get some sort of award.  I took the job to get a paycheck.

Which takes me to my second point: The punch line to an old story says, "We'd like to pay you what you're worth, but there are minimum wage laws in this state."  I'm just glad I haven't always been paid what I was "worth" to the job.

As a roadie, my primary "reward" is coming back for the next outage at a plant that I like and working with people I respect.  The money isn't incidental but it is an excellent accompaniment to working in an acceptable working environment with people who help me do my job even better.

[rumrunner]

I'd be embarrassed to administer an incentive program that was the equivalent of a kid getting a bag of penny candy. 

At Browns Ferry this past spring we had a couple of incentive programs.  One for beating "challenge" dose goals on jump tickets, and another for the safety program.  I ran the ALARA deal.  People who beat their dose goals dropped their jump tickets off and I'd pull one out for a $25 Lowe's card.  The safety program also had gift cards as well as big-ticket items on random drawings.  I'm not sure any of it made a difference.  One thing most of the winners didn't realize is we had to track each award and report them to corporate.  I don't know the figure, but at some point when a worker (TVA or contractor) reached a certain amount in incentive awards it became a tax issue, with either TVA or the contract company adding it to the W-2 or 1099.

[UncaBuffalo]

These programs have been proven especially successful with the Gen-X/Gen-Y age groups. 

There are actually human resource types who specialize in teaching management how to deal with the younger people entering the workforce...and positive reinforcement/recognition programs are one of the major tools... 

[BuddyThePug]

Ni hao! 

[Content1]

Awright then!!,...Human resources types have sold upper management on the paradigm that Gen-X/Gen-Y workers are better motivated by a bag of candy, than a job well done recognized with commensurate financial compensation.

And we wonder why the Chicoms are kicking our asses,...

All I ever got from the candy rewards is a case of diabetes, would have preferred money.

[gotnoname19]

There was an incentive program at the outage that I just came from. It seemed like a fun idea, I dont see what all of the contention is about. I mean I could see the problem if nuclear paid like crap, but honestly, the reason we are all here is because it pays really well.

[Motown homey]

There was an incentive program at the outage that I just came from. It seemed like a fun idea, I dont see what all of the contention is about. I mean I could see the problem if nuclear paid like crap, but honestly, the reason we are all here is because it pays really well.

Well, all things being equal, I am just an itinerant HP Tech, and HP Techs can bitch without having anything to really bitch about.  Hell, most nukes are like that - just look at the boards.

[stormgoalie]

Well, all things being equal, I am just an itinerant HP Tech, and HP Techs can bitch without having anything to really bitch about.  Hell, most nukes are like that - just look at the boards.

One of the first sayings I learned when I got in RP was "A bitchy RP tech is a happy RP tech" Seems to still be true to this day

[Paul]

Hey good behaviors get you candy and good rad practices get you the snazzy ALARA gear!
They just want you to forget you are not getting a COL increase!

[darkmatter]

A little more grist for the Mill:

     Just an empirically derived field observation, the Outage daily newsletter publishes the winners of the "candy coupons". Of the outage demographics, the majority of the crafts are older crusty sweaty workmen. Of the coupon winner list, there seems to be a disappropriate  number of young attractive females winners that their job function involves fire extinguishers, FME logs, and masslinn mops.
My father use to tell me about a time in France when Nylons and Chocolate bars could get you.......

[Fermi2]

Here's some reinforcement, if you do your job I won't put my foot in your a**. Too often what we are reinforcing as good work is simply someone doing what we pay them to do ie THEIR JOB!

Mike

[Smooth Operator]

Zilla,

Exactly....a "good job" from a manager every now and then goes a long way. Other than that, all this talk of prizes and crap is kind of ridiculous.

Reward me with paid time off or something and save the coupons and candy.

Document in my record that I did something that exceeded expectations, so a year from now during my annual review its right there.

Jason

[Fermi2]

Zilla,

Exactly....a "good job" from a manager every now and then goes a long way. Other than that, all this talk of prizes and crap is kind of ridiculous.

Reward me with paid time off or something and save the coupons and candy.

Document in my record that I did something that exceeded expectations, so a year from now during my annual review its right there.

Jason

Pizza and Ice Cream and every so often I take them all to a dinner and pay for them and their wives.

Mike

[nowhereman]

Actually I was hoping that "outage positive reinforcement" was a fully staffed outage. All too many times it is"sorry were short 12 seniors" .....aka ..sorry you have to stay over and finish writing your surveys....or no  the juniors are too busy to go out do surveys with you....  but here's a bartlett hat and and a pen for the 8 1/2 stretch in the can yesterday..
Every time I read Scott Adams Dilbert, I have to believe he is in outage management .....like this Sundays Dilbert comic..... are they secretly reading TPS or lean concepts? using their time in the OCC to study up on kaizen and kanban ....maybe they could get us R02's with green /red lights, you know that visual management kanban system.

oops,  sorry for the rant....

[Content1]

Negative reinforcement was the menthod last Spring.  Imply the outage would last 4 weeks, cut everyone at two weeks at Surry because the "Outage went so well." (Reinforcing doing well=less money in pocket). 

At North Anna last Spring, it was "Show up to the outage on time and we sent you to your motel for 3 1/2 days paying only per diem to save company money."   Reinforces techs don't need work, waste their time if it saves us a buck, then send them home quickly for a "Good outage."

All this reinforcement lead to me examining my bank account and realizing I earn 1/2 as much as the previous year during the same period, so it reinforced me to become a house tech.   I will also note they didn't use any postive reinforcement either at both places.

[Fermi2]

Negative reinforcement was the menthod last Spring.  Imply the outage would last 4 weeks, cut everyone at two weeks at Surry because the "Outage went so well." (Reinforcing doing well=less money in pocket). 

At North Anna last Spring, it was "Show up to the outage on time and we sent you to your motel for 3 1/2 days paying only per diem to save company money."   Reinforces techs don't need work, waste their time if it saves us a buck, then send them home quickly for a "Good outage."

All this reinforcement lead to me examining my bank account and realizing I earn 1/2 as much as the previous year during the same period, so it reinforced me to become a house tech.   I will also note they didn't use any postive reinforcement either at both places.

Has nothing to do with the topic. You took the job, you live with the pay and the decisions made. Stop whining.

Mike

[johnnyreb]

 this is certainly not a practice of BNI. for years of loyalty producing revenue of 6 or 7 figures the wont even spot you a measly $200 for your 401k. whos got the backup?

[HydroDave63]

this is certainly not a practice of BNI. for years of loyalty producing revenue of 6 or 7 figures

not with gobbledy-goop like that!

Fail.

[HydroDave63]

I take them all to a dinner and pay for them and their wives.  

Something like this ?  

[Brett LaVigne]

I do believe in positive reinforcement. It works with kids, dogs and adults. However, adults are a bit smarter than dogs and most kids. I think giving out a trinket is a good idea and helps, but if it is not managed in the right way it just looks stupid and can feel a bit insulting because it feels like being treated like a child.

To me it's kind of like convincing people in church that if you behave, you will get this nice reward. That is more of a bribe to get people who otherwise might not do the right things to fall in line for a handout. Doesn't make them people who will naturally make the right choice every time unless they think someone (or God, or a supervisor...not to compare the two ) is watching.

What a management group should do for "real" and lasting culture change is treat people like adults. Include them in decision making even if it is on lower level items or empower them with desicion making abilities (at an appropriate responsibility level). Pay them. Reward them for going that extra mile to ensure a job goes right, but this should be a relatively rare occasion and for the things that are above and beyond. If you are treating people right and offering a nice package, you will end up recruiting good employees that do a good job for the sake of doing a good job and taking a little pride. You can't turn bad employee's into good ones with bribes. You can get them to behave to a certain degree, but a problem employee will eventually still be a problem employee if given the chance, and that is really important in our industry. What will a person do if no one is looking? That is called culture.

Sounds like a bandaid to me. It often times is a path a poor management group would take to avoid actually managing a problem.

I like reward systems if they applied correctly (most I have seen are not). Usually, if a management team is really amped up on a reward system, they are covering for their own deficiencies in the ability to manage the group.