Ignoring
Have you ever been ignored for safety performance or achievement that you believe should be recognized? It doesn't really matter why you have been ignored: you don't like it.
Ignoring employee performance is a response and actually a common form of recognition. You might think that ignoring employee behaviors is actually withholding a consequence, but it's not because there is no such thing as 'no consequence'; every response, including ignoring, is a consequence. In fact, ignoring desired behaviors in the workplace is the worst response because it leads to the extinction (elimination) of desired behaviors.
Let's take a look at some of the characteristics of extinction:
- It is the withdrawal of recognition;
- Workers eventually perform without an expectation of recognition.
- Ignoring may affect behaviors such that:
- if workers comply with safety rules and the supervisor ignores it, they may perceive it as a negative consequence. Consequently, they may more likely break safety rules in the future; and
- if workers break safety rules and a supervisor ignores it, they may perceive it as a positive consequence. This is the worst thing a supervisor can do because workers may be less likely to comply with safety rules in the future.
- Examples of the thoughts and beliefs produced when people are ignored include:
- "It doesn't matter how hard I work around here."
- "Apathy is rampant, but who cares."
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
2-5. What is the worst supervisor response to an observed unsafe behavior?
You forgot to answer the question!