Reflection, Module 4

PM – Antecedents Biagi

Performance Management With Shannon Biagi, MS, BCBA (she/her)

PM – Antecedents Biagi

Antecedents in Performance Management

PM – Antecedents Biagi

Objectives

The goals of this lesson are to: • Determine the conditions under which the use of antecedent

interventions are most effective

• Differentiate between training, task clarification, job aids, and goals in the workplace

• Select the most appropriate source of information when defining criteria for goals

• Determine when motivating operations are in effect for staff and how best to mitigate their impacts in the workplace

PM – Antecedents Biagi

An Introduction to Antecedents

In Brief

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The Three-Term Contingency in PM

B CA ?Out-Put

Antecedent Behavior Consequence

PM – Antecedents Biagi

Antecedents: Getting Things Started Antecedents are environmental changes that occur _______ a behavior that contain information

about the reinforcement available for the behavior and increase the likelihood of behavior occurring. (Daniels and Bailey, 2014)

But antecedents do NOT ________ behavior. They will not ________ behavior.

Expecting them to do so is quite common in business, for example…

PM – Antecedents Biagi Common Examples of Antecedents that Businesses Expect to Cause Behavior Change

Many organizations expect their employee handbooks to drive the behavior of staff. However, these are antecedents (and not very effective ones at that)!

_____________________ Job descriptions often contain information about what the employee is expected to do on the job. The job description itself will NOT change behavior.

_________________ Setting a goal acts as an antecedent, in that it contains information about reinforcement that may be available. The goal does not drive the behavior!

________

PM – Antecedents Biagi

Characteristics of Effective Antecedents

Signal Consequences that are ________ to Staff

Are Highly _________ with the Behavior

___________ Precede Behavior

Have Only Short-Term Effects Without Consequences

Explains Communication Issues

Produce Rule-Governed Behavior

Daniels and Bailey (2014)

The _________ the antecedent is to the behavior occurring, the more likely that the antecedent influenced the behavior observed.

If the outcomes signaled by the antecedent _____________ to staff, the antecedent will just be another stimulus.

If each time the antecedent is _________ the behavior occurs, this is a sign that you have a very effective antecedent.

When antecedents reliably signal reinforcement (or punishment), behavior no longer needs to be directly shaped by contacting contingencies immediately.

If an antecedent produces behavior _________, it has done its job. Consequences must follow for them to continue to influence behavior.

Communication is an antecedent stimulus. For communication to be effective, there must be strong __________ between communication behaviors and _________________.

PM – Antecedents Biagi

Considerations for using Antecedent Interventions • Antecedents are only effective as interventions

when: • The desired behavior is ______________ • An ___________ has indicated that a lack

of antecedents are contributing to the issue • Antecedents are tied to consequences OR

individuals being exposed to the intervention _________ frequently

• Example: “No eating in this area” signs

Wine (2018)

PM – Antecedents Biagi

Which of the following is true? Checking in:

A. Antecedents, like policies and procedures, are effective in maintaining behavior change at work

B. Setting goals alone will drive behavior change of employees

C. Antecedents are effective interventions for behavior that is occurring, but not enough or at a lower standard

D. Antecedents can be especially effective in locations in which the population is in constant flux

E. None of these are true

PM – Antecedents Biagi

Common Antecedents Antecedents that are Typical in the Workplace

PM – Antecedents Biagi

• Instructions – Initial training • _____

• Signal that consequences are available • Likely reliant on rule-governed behavior due

to delays in contacting consequences

• ______ • Increase the value of engaging in work

behavior

• Many antecedents will play multiple roles depending on the context and performer, so we will focus on the form of the antecedent, rather than labeling by the role they serve

Roles of Antecedents in the Workplace

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Wine (2018)

Training • The most ____________, intrusive, and time-

consuming antecedent intervention • Designed to fully instruct employees on how to

complete their required work tasks • It is a __________ antecedent intervention for

new employees, but not sufficient to _________ behavior over time

• Once initial training has been completed, consider carefully whether it is warranted as an ongoing intervention for behavior deficits

PM – Antecedents Biagi

• Often used when additional instruction may be needed, but does not warrant the _________ of training

• Describes job duties and expectations for specific job tasks

• Typically does not utilize practice components included in a full training intervention, which saves __________

• May look like: memos, instructional postings, process maps, manuals, and checklists

Wine (2018)

Task Clarification

PM – Antecedents Biagi

The Power of Checklists Checklists are lists of essential steps required to complete a specific task, or specific

characteristics required of a _____________________ produced by a process.

In his New York Times best selling book, The Checklist Manifesto, Dr. Atul Gawande takes a deep dive on the use of checklists across industries, including construction, piloting aircrafts, and

in his own industry – surgical medicine.

Creating useful checklists isn’t as easy as simply creating a ________________ and checking boxes, and his book is HIGHLY recommended reading to explore how to develop effective

checklists and overcome resistance to their use.

According to Gawande, checklists are useful to: • Ensure that critical steps aren’t ____________/intentionally skipped

• Provide additional guidance for performers

• Increase _____________, efficiency, and consistency

• Decrease expenses and incidents

PM – Antecedents BiagiA Checklist for Checklists (Gawande, 2009)

PM – Antecedents Biagi

Wine (2018)

Job Aids • Unlike task clarification, job aids act as prompts for

individual aspects of a jobs to occur, rather than longer _____ of behavior

• Must draw the ________ of employees to be effective

• These are rarely used as independent interventions, but are commonly included as ____________

• Employees must be able to ______ the task required, and have the __________ in place to do so, but are missing the ___________

• May look like: signage, announcements, email reminders, sticky notes

PM – Antecedents BiagiWarman, Wine, Newcomb, Chen, and Morgan (2009)

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• “A standard of how well a task must be performed within a specified time frame”

• Even if not explicitly stated, nearly all jobs have expected goals required for the company to continue to operate

• Goals are only effective if, when the criteria specified is met, ___________________ follow

• So to be effective goals must: • Inform employees of what is expected to

obtain reinforcement • Inform leaders how to ____________

whether employees have earned reinforcement

Wine (2018)

Goals

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Why Are Some People (seemingly) Motivated by Goals? Because meeting goals has been __________________ in the past. Individuals who have learning history

around goal-attainment are more likely to be motivated by goals in the absence of reinforcement.

This cannot (and will not) be a reasonable expectation of performance at work for everyone, and even those who have this history will eventually have their behavior __________ over time in the absence of

some kind of positive reinforcement.

Daniels ad Bailey (2014)

PM – Antecedents Biagi Sources of Goal-Setting Information (Daniels and Bailey, 2014)

Different tasks have different learning curves, and have different levels of feasible/possible performance.

Characteristics of the Performance

Considered the best way to set goals, look at the performer’s past behavior and set the goal slightly higher. This allows for shaping, but may be below the standard required for longer.

Performer History

Current exemplary performance can help set the standard, but do NOT create competition internally. Consider using performers outside the org for competition.

Other Performers

These can often result in unrealistic expectations and negative reinforcement, and should only be used as a reference point.

Industry Standards

Having staff weigh in can be an effective strategy, but can result in unattainable goals. Leaders should weigh in and check and mitigate this.

Participative Goal-Setting

PM – Antecedents Biagi

After an assessment, a manager meets with a staff member to describe a task, model it, and practice until a criteria is

met. This is an example of:

Checking in:

A. Training

B. Task clarification

C. A job aid

D. A goal

PM – Antecedents Biagi

The direct billable hours expectation for a BCBA is written in the job description as 80 hours each month. This is an example

of:

Checking in:

A. Training

B. Task clarification

C. A job aid

D. A goal

PM – Antecedents Biagi

A sign by the sink at a restaurant says “Employees Must Wash Hands”. This is

an example of:

Checking in:

A. Training

B. Task clarification

C. A job aid

D. A goal

PM – Antecedents Biagi

A calendar reminder pops up on the computer every other Friday to remind staff to submit their timesheets. This is

an example of:

Checking in:

A. Training

B. Task clarification

C. A job aid

D. A goal

PM – Antecedents Biagi

A document is provided to staff that includes all of the components necessary

to confirm before submitting an insurance re-authorization. This is an

example of:

Checking in:

A. Training

B. Task clarification

C. A job aid

D. A goal

PM – Antecedents Biagi

Which of the following is false: Checking in:

A. Some performers are motivated by goals because of their learning history around goal achievement

B. Goals are used to describe to employees what they need to do to achieve reinforcement

C. Managers and leaders are the best source of information for setting achievable goals

D. Using industry standards leads to aversive control in many cases

E. All of these are true

PM – Antecedents Biagi

Motivating Operations Increasing the Value of Reinforcers at Work

PM – Antecedents Biagi

Antecedents and consequences in the workplace have varying effects…

They may work one day and be ____________ the next… which is super frustrating when you’re

trying to motivate staff! Why does this happen?

PM – Antecedents Biagi

Motivating Operations (MOs)

1. ______ the reinforcing or punishing effects of events or objects

2. Alter the _________ of behavior that has previously resulted in gaining access to the aforementioned events or objects

Enter: Dr. Jack Michael

PM – Antecedents Biagi

Department A – implementing PM interventions that exclusively use social reinforcers for improvements

Effective until they see Department B…

Case Study 1 (Agnew, 2008) Motivating Operations

PM – Antecedents Biagi

Department B – also implementing PM interventions, but focuses on tangibles (lunches, movie tickets, better equipment, treats, etc.)

____________ the value of social reinforcement in Department A, performance ____________

Case Study 1 (Agnew, 2008) Motivating Operations

PM – Antecedents Biagi

• A single location of a larger company is implementing PM solutions and measurement

• Is not exceptionally profitable, but doing better than previous year, and folks are proud of that

Case Study 2 (Agnew, 2008) More Complex…

PM – Antecedents Biagi

• Headquarters says the organization as a whole is losing money, and the location will be closed if they can’t increase profitability by 5%

• This announcement changes the reinforcing value of a LOT of things:

Case Study 2 (Agnew, 2008) More Complex

PM – Antecedents Biagi

Small profit increases are _____________________

Case 2 (Agnew, 2008): MO Changes

Indications of reduced costs or increased productivity are ________________-

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• When senior staff get involved

• If leaders are well-liked

• When others are enthusiastic or committed to training

• When staff are in school or have kids

• We must account for MOs when we’re setting employees up for success!

Other MO Alterers How We Can Change MOs

PM – Antecedents Biagi

A team has the opportunity to earn a special lunch together, but they do not

have a positive rapport with one another. The lack of rapport _______ the value of

the lunch as a reinforcer.

Checking in:

A. Establishes

B. Abolishes

PM – Antecedents Biagi

An employee just purchased a new home. They are working extra hard to

earn every monetary bonus available to them. The purchase of the home is acting

as an __ for money-earning behavior.

Checking in:

A. EO

B. AO

C. DRO

PM – Antecedents Biagi

In Closing…

PM – Antecedents Biagi

Thank you For your precious time and your attention.

1. Antecedents are environmental changes that occur:
2. But antecedents do NOT:
3. behavior They will not:
4. Many organizations expect their:
5. Job descriptions often contain:
6. Setting a goal acts as an antecedent:
7. Precede:
8. to Staff:
9. the antecedent is:
10. to:
11. it has done:
12. with:
13. the behavior occurs:
14. between communication:
15. undefined:
16. The desired behavior is:
17. An:
18. intervention:
19. Signal that consequences are available:
20. Increase the value of engaging in work:
21. The most:
22. It is a:
23. new employees but not sufficient to:
24. needed but does not warrant the:
25. saves:
26. produced by a process:
27. and checking:
28. intentionally skipped:
29. efficiency and consistency:
30. longer:
31. Must draw the:
32. interventions but are commonly included as:
33. Employees must be able to:
34. required and have the:
35. so but are missing the:
36. undefined_2:
37. specified is met:
38. Inform leaders how to:
39. around goalattainment are more likely to be motivated by goals in the absence of reinforcement:
40. some kind of positive reinforcement:
41. next which is super frustrating when youre:
42. punishing effects of events or:
43. that has previously resulted in:
44. the value of social:
45. performance:
46. Small profit increases are:
47. are: