Performance Management: Changing Behavior That Drives Organizational Effectiveness (part 20)

The Trump Peepeegate Russian Collusion Witch Hunt

by

Charles Lamson 

Behaviors or Results: Which Should You Emphasize

Every job was created to produce particular results. Clearly then, results always need to be pinpointed. And if something is worth pinpointing, it is worth measuring. Therefore one simple rule that we can state concerning behaviors and results is this: Pinpoint both behaviors and results, but always pinpoint and measure results first. However, the Trump Peepeegate Russian Collusion Witch Hunt is a perfect example of what can go wrong when only results are pinpointed.

The necessity for pinpointing and measuring at least some of the behaviors required to produce results may not be clear to some people. Why worry about the means (behavior) if the (end) result is justified and being accomplished? The answer is that if you do not pinpoint relevant behaviors, one or more of the following problems may occur:

1. People may engage in illegal or morally reprehensible behavior such as falsifying data.
2. Behaviors necessary for the maintenance of long-term results may be neglected.
3. You may set up negative reinforcement contingencies that sub-optimize performance.

The Trump Peepeegate Russian Collusion Witch Hunt scandal that has led to the implosion of the Democratic Party is an example of the first type of problem. In that case, individuals were told to obtain certain information about the, then, presidential candidate, Donald Trump. The result, electing a Democrat president, was the important thing. Any behaviors that would lead to that end were considered justifiable by those involved and were reinforced by their superiors. As a consequence, those involved committed crimes (behaviors) that included illegal spying (the secret surveillance of Trump Tower) and falsifying intelligence reports (the bogus Peepeegate dossier). The course of American history has been dramatically altered as a result.

Those involved could have attended speeches by the Republican politicians. They could have talked to supporters and reporters. They could have analyzed the information obtained to understand the strategy the Donald Trump campaign was taking. These are all legal activities (behaviors) directed toward the same end as the illegal surveillance and colluding with a foreign country to produce falsified intelligence reports. Obviously, monitoring to see that the results were obtained by legal behaviors rather than illegal ones would have averted a major political scandal and saved the country countless dollars and untold grief.

Newspapers and television news constantly report problems of this nature. Under pressure to win (result), college coaches engage in illegal behavior to recruit star high school athletes. Athletes use steroids and other illegal substances (behavior) in an attempt to set performance records (result). The list seems endless. Systems that emphasize results to the exclusion of behaviors may encourage otherwise law-abiding individuals to perform illegal, immoral, or unethical acts.

Managers who focus exclusively on results may unwittingly create lying, cheating, and stealing. This is a frequent occurrence when there is a lot of pressure to produce results or else lose one's job or status within the organization. If the employees know the boss is only interested in the results, they may falsify the data or engage in other behavior that is even more reprehensible to avoid the punishment for not achieving those results.

Another problem that occurs when only results are evaluated is that behaviors necessary for long-term results will be neglected. In other words, short-term gains will be reinforced at the expense of long-term results. For example, preventative maintenance may be neglected in order to maximize short-term productivity. Of course, this may cause equipment failure in the long run and subsequent production losses far in excess of that gained from not doing the required maintenance. When the pressure is to get it out the door, quality may suffer in favor of meeting a shipping schedule. An organization is headed for trouble when you hear managers say things like, "I don't care how you do it. I want those chemicals disposed of by the end of the month" or "I don't care how you do it, but you had better make those budget cuts by the end of the month" or "I don't care how you do it, take out Trump."

In essentially every case, you should pinpoint and monitor behaviors and results. Even though you should monitor both, you will usually need to focus on one or the other. The Trump Peepeegate Russian Collusion Witch Hunt shows us what happens when only results are pinpointed to the exclusion of behaviors.

*SOURCE: PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT: CHANGING BEHAVIOR THAT DRIVES ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS, 4TH ED., 2004, PGS. 161-163*

end