ABSTRACT
Performance Management (PM) is a systematic, data-oriented approach to managing people at work that relies on positive reinforcement as the major way to maximize performance. When behavior analysis principles are applied in business, industrial, or organizational settings, the term PM is used to describe this area of application. PM operates very much like the clinical and educational applications of applied behavior analysis. Some instances of poor employee performance are due to adverse circumstances that the person has to deal with in his or her personal life. For some types of work, the tools and equipment that an employee uses can greatly affect performance; likewise the physical environment is a major factor for certain behaviors. For many owners or managers, it is assumed that once a person has been through training, performance problems are over. The process of PM consulting is very similar to the consulting process in schools or with families.
