Reinforcement at Work: Why Good Intentions Don’t Always Change Behaviour
Most workplace behaviour change efforts tend to fail for one simple reason. We talk about expectations, but rarely do we change the contingencies at play.
You can provide the training, attempt to inspire, and even threaten, but behaviour only changes when the environment makes a different behaviour easier, more valuable or more reinforcing than the old one.
That’s where contingent reinforcement comes in.
What Actually is Reinforcement (and what it isn’t)
In behavioural terms, reinforcement is anything that increases the likelihood of a behaviour happening again.
Reinforcement is not defined by your intention, but by its effect. A bonus that doesn’t change performance? Not a reinforcer. Public praise leads to avoidance? Not a reinforcer.
Flexibility, autonomy, social recognition, reduced effort, and feelings of competency are often powerful reinforcers. In the workplace, these can look like:
Social reinforcers (recognition, positive feedback, inclusion)
Tangible reinforcers (pay, perks, exclusive resources)
Task-Based reinforcers (decreased effort, clearer systems, autonomy)
Intrinsic reinforcers (mastery, alignment with values, meaning)
Preferred vs. Reinforcing: A Critical Distinction
This is where many leaders get stuck. They think preferred equals reinforcing.
A preferred consequence is something people say they like, such as paper towels over air drying. A reinforcing consequence is something that actually increases behaviour.
For example, an employee says they prefer verbal praise, but behaviour only increases when deadlines are relaxed or workload is reduced. So while praise may be preferred, reduced task demands is the reinforcer.
In the workplace, leaders often overuse:
verbal recognition
one-size-fits-all incentives
end of year rewards
while underestimating:
immediate feedback
removal of friction
predictability and clarity
feeling effective, and not overwhelmed.
Competing Contingencies: Why Old Behaviour Keeps Winning
If someone knows what to do but doesn’t do it, assume competing contingencies are at play. A competing contingency is when an undesired behaviour is more immediately reinforcing, and the desired behaviour is effortful or results in delayed or inconsistent reinforcement.
Let’s look at some examples:
you desire an employee to give feedback promptly, but they may avoid discomfort by delaying doing so
you desire employees to follow a new process, but the older system is faster so employees may continue to engage with the older system
you desire an increase in employees documenting their work, however they see no immediate payoff to do so
you want increased participation from employees during meetings, however by remaining silent, employees avoid social risks
People resist change because the environment rewards the old behaviour better.
Changing Behaviour Means Changing Contingencies
If you want behaviour to shift, reinforcement must be:
immediate
reliable
meaning to the person
easier than the competing behaviour
This requires intentional planning.
How to Change Workplace Contingencies
Step 1.
Define the behaviour precisely and objectively. Avoid vague goals like “be proactive” or “communicate better”. Instead try:
“Send project updates by Friday 3pm”
“Provide feedback within 48 hours”
“Use the new intake form for all future requests”
If you can’t observe it, you can’t reinforce it.
Step 2.
Identify the current reinforcers. Ask:
What happens right after the current behaviour?
What discomfort is being avoided?
What effort is being reduced?
The answers to these questions will help explain why the current behaviour persists.
Step 3.
Identify the competing contingencies. Find out:
What does the undesired behaviour result in? What is the payoff for the individual?
What cost does the desired behaviour current have? How much effort does the new behaviour take?
Step 4.
Select reinforcers that employees respond to, not what leadership prefers. Consider:
Reduced workload later
Faster approvals
Autonomy
Tying behaviours to meaningful outcomes
Providing skill-building opportunities
Whenever possible, reinforcer early efforts and not just perfect outcomes.
Step 5.
Reduce the cost of the desired behaviour. Sometimes, reinforcement alone might not compete enough. Try:
Simplifying steps
Automating reminders
Removing unnecessary approvals
Clarifying expectations
Normalizing imperfect attempts
Remember, lower effort equals a higher probability of desired behaviour.
Step 6.
Deliver reinforcement immediately and consistently, reinforcement loses its power quickly. When possible:
Weekly beats quarterly
Specific beats generic
Predictable beats random
Step 7.
Fade artificial reinforcement and strengthen natural ones. Over time, shift toward reinforcing:
Mastery
Efficiency
Team trust
Value-aligned outcomes,
to increase sustainability of the desired behaviour.
Final Thought.
Behaviour is often a systems contingency problem, where reinforcement aligns with undesired behaviours. However, when reinforcement does align with the behaviour you want, and competing contingencies are weakened, behaviour change stops leading to power struggles and starts being the path of least resistance. That’s how behaviour actually changes.
