Our Thinking
It is widely believed that change can occur through behaviour modification methodologies. This approach is based on defining "effective" behaviour by observing demonstrated success, and then help people adopt these new behaviours through encouragement and positive recognition.
The assumption is that external stimuli, especially from leaders and role models combined with tangible rewards, will shape desired behaviours. With persistent and disciplined practice by both the "rewarder" and "the target", desired change will eventually occur. This model believes first that "the leader knows best", and second, that the pursuit of pleasure (positive outcomes) and avoidance of pain (negative consequences) are main motivators in human behaviour.
It is our belief that most people are motivated by contributing and adding meaningful value to their work situation. At the end of a working day, most people will asses the quality of their work experience by how much they could influence and add value, and whether the rewards were worth their personal investment.
Mapping the Territory
It cannot be disputed that some of our behaviour is guided by the achieve pleasure - avoid pain model. But it can be argued that human motivation is much deeper and more complex. Another model suggests that another strong motivational drive is to reconfirm our already established beliefs about ourselves and the world around us.
This model suggests that we look for events and even manipulate our surroundings to reinforce our already established personal world view. This way, we conduct our lives more like a self-fulfilling prophecy (to create I told you so's), even if this can at times have negative and painful outcomes. This explains our sometimes self-destructive behaviour.
People's effectiveness at work and in life is closely linked to how well their self-image and world-views (Maps) are aligned to reality. For organizations to succeed, it is critical that people are on the same map and that this map is closely aligned with the realities of the situation.