Two Tootsie Rolls and a Mint

Janis — Mon, 31 May 2010 14:07:51 +0000

The phone rang at 7:30 A.M. Michelle, an anxious student, asked: "Should I come today for the qualifying exam? I only got two Tootsie Rolls and a mint from Rachael!"

Worldwide Interactive Network Instructor Rachael Caldwell had used a simple but powerful feedback system to help her online students achieve high scores on their Career Readiness Certification tests. As they completed their online study, Rachael neatly printed each student’s name on a small white styrofoam cup, then loaded the cup with small candies for each level achieved each day.

Each mint meant they had completed the minimum level of a category; each Tootsie Roll signified one level beyond the minimum requirement.

The impression of those personally-packed candies stuck with Michelle and all of Rachael’s other students. Her mint-and-Tootsie Roll feedback system inspired some students to earn higher test scores.

Of 19 students, 16 took their qualifying exams and were awarded Career Readiness Certificates, which they will proudly present to prospective employers, setting them a notch above other applicants when hiring decisions are made.

Rx for a job: Earn six Tootsie Rolls and call me in the morning!

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Simon Says Beware

Janis — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:20:46 +0000

Jan, the owner of Simon the Jack Russell Terrier, trained Simon to touch a bell with his paw when he wanted to go outside.

One evening, Simon waited till she sat down to dinner, then rang the bell. When Jan left her plate of warm, delicious food to open the door, Simon ran past her, jumped onto her chair, and gobbled down her food.

Jan had intended "going outside" as the positive consequence for Simon’s ringing the bell. But smart Simon found a much more delicious consequence for the behavior of bell-ringing: her savory supper.

Does anyone in your life have YOU trained?

It’s happened to me.

Simone was responsible for assembling and shipping materials for my training classes. Each time I gave her my order, she’d say, "You’ll have to come over here and bring me the inserts," or some such. Pretty soon, I was spending more time preparing the shipments than she was. Eventually, I ended up preparing my own materials and taking them with me on the plane.

I had thought Simone would do a certain task when I rang the bell; actually, I did a certain task when she rang the bell. The more I did, the less Simone did. Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

When unintended consequences are giving us the opposite of what we want, we can put a stop to our own behavior. Otherwise, our duties and our world can turn upside down.

Remember, as Simon says: "He who rings the bell, eats the treats."

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Janis Allen » Consequences

Two Tootsie Rolls and a Mint

Simon Says Beware