Reinforcing Progress: How to Build Sustainable Success

One of the biggest fallacies managers hold on to is the assumption that if people know the best way to do something, they will do it. As a leader, it is important to always remember that people don't do what they know is best; they do what they have always done. For successful leaders, initial success is only the beginning. It is a leader's job to reinforce success so that it can become a sustainable norm.

Reinforcement is one the most crucial elements of the coaching process. As a leader, when you reach success, you must use your own success as a model for reinforcement with your team.

You have to first experience success before you can reinforce it. This means when you teach a new skill, you must provide the employee the empowerment to go get results and succeed. By providing an environment that tolerates risk and failure, you will empower your team to continually push for greater success.

Creating an environment that accepts intelligent risk-taking and some failure is only part of the process to building sustainable success. You must also provide the right feedback and make sure that you are constantly following up. The follow-up and feedback will allow you monitor progress and maintain accountability, while also identifying additional coaching opportunities.

Maintaining accountability is key when building sustainable success. Remember that employees often want to go back to their old practices, so making employees accountable for their work is critical. When you do see an accountability issue, handle it immediately. Whether it is due to nonperformance or a mistake, continue to coach through this process.

Building sustainable success requires a leader to be trusting, ready to provide feedback, and prepared to engage in coaching at all times. It is a time-consuming process that requires round-the-clock care. There is a very large time commitment upfront to ensure acceptance and accountability, but after you've put in the time, you will have employees who understand not only how to succeed, but how to do it over and over again.

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