ABSTRACT
Positive reinforcement, simply defined, is giving people something that they want after they do something that we wanted them to do, which increases the likelihood that they will do the same behavior in the future. Sometimes leaders object to the use of positive reinforcement on the grounds that it is manipulative. Positive reinforcement is the most powerful tool that a leader has in his or her Lean culture tool belt. It is the type of influence that people respond to most favorably. Negative reinforcement is when someone can prevent a punishment from happening by doing something that we want him or her to do. Punishment is effective for one thing and one thing only—to stop unwanted behavior from happening. Rewards, negative reinforcement, and punishment are extremely powerful Lean culture tools if used correctly.
