When to use this exercise
You can use this exercise when you want to increase the amount of positive feedback to a certain target person, or to a group or team of people. You can also use this exercise to increase other positive behaviour.
Purpose
The purpose with this technique is to increase the amount of certain positive behaviour with a controlled technique that keeps you aware of how much your behaviour changes, by counting the amount of positive behaviour or feedback that you give.
Steps
- Count out a specific amount of sweets or paper clips with you in one of your pockets. Let's say for example six sweets or paper clips.
- For each positive feedback or comment you make, change one paper clip over to the at first empty pocket, or if you opted for sweets, you simply eat one. At the end of the selected time period, you have moved over all the paper clips or eaten all the sweets and have given positive feedback six times.
Option: You can opt for certain kinds of items or certain colours to represent different communication strategies you are trying to use. For example, if you want to decrease the amount of provisional comments and increase the amount of confident suggestions in a meeting, take with you the selected amount of red and green M&M sweets. After each provisional comment you make, you eat a red one and after each confident suggestion you eat a green one. Check what you have left after the meeting. This will support you feel, and sound, more confident.