This question was in response to the study that showed larger improvements from high performing team members than lower performing team members as a result of positive reinforcement.

Question:

Is this because the high performers were actually severely underemployed or because they were more talented or some other reason?

Response:

I am certain there were many individual reasons for the dramatic uplift in performance. The point of the story is that, often, we, as managers, spend time with our problem team members instead of our high performing team members.

And when we spend time with our poor performers, it drags us away from positive reinforcement toward negative or punitive reinforcement. Between the two types of reinforcement, positive and negative, which is more likely to bring out the best in people? -TF