The ‘good behavior contract’: Does it really work?
September 25, 2009 by Jim GiulianoPosted in: Behavior, Communication, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, policies
The concept is so simple that it’s used with elementary-school kids: signing a “contract” that obligates the person to behave according to set standards. Does it work with adults in the workplace?
A popular book, “Results That Last: Hardwiring Behaviors That Will Take Your Company to the Top,” by Quint Studer, argues that yes, you can draw up an effective behavior contract. The contract itself will have to follow some rules. It must:
- Be signed by everyone in the company, from CEO to mailroom sorter. You can’t make it look as if you’re singling out a group of workers. And companywide signing underscores the fact that you have companywide standards. And don’t forget to have new employees sign it on their first day.
- Contain ideas from across the company spectrum. A document that’s handed down from HR or any top level will be ignored. Companies that have successfully implemented behavior contracts have first sought input from several departments or supervisors.
- Have business goals. It’s nice to get people to behave cordially toward one another or toward customers, but there should be some larger points — for instance, fewer communication glitches or better customer satisfaction.
- Contain specifics, over and above the simplified “I’ll be polite to everyone.” For instance, it might specify, “I will always knock on closed doors before entering,” or “I will always address customers by using the prefix ‘Mr.’ or ‘Ms.’”
- Be subject to change and updates. There will be new situations that need to be addressed, so the contract can’t be a document that’s written once and then allowed to collect dust.
Tags: Quint Studer, Results That Last: Hardwiring Behaviors That Will Take Your Company to the Top
September 28th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
You’re kidding, right?
September 28th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
I have not heard of this being used in the workplace. But I have to question whether or not this would insult current employees and make new hires wonder what type of company they are going to work where this type of “contract” is needed.
September 28th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
If serious, Jim, please contact EAP and get that drug test ASAP.
If not serious, it was hard to get into the spirit of play and to suspend my disbelief to truly enjoy the humor.
September 29th, 2009 at 10:53 am
Is this what our world has come to? Working people, for the most part, should be primarily responsible adults. If they haven’t matured to the point where they have good behavior by now they probable will never have it, even if they do sign a “good behavior contract”. How ridiculous.
September 29th, 2009 at 10:54 am
Oops, should have been probably, not “probable”.
October 5th, 2009 at 10:27 am
With kids it might make sense, but with adults there are behaviors that should just be expected to be understood (knocking on a closed door before coming in). The employee handbook should cover general (or specific) rules and expectations of behavior over and above “general politeness” which can’t be taught…you either are or your aren’t. There will always be workers who are too loud, take something out of the fridge that doesn’t belong to them, don’t clean up after themselves…just part of working with a group of differing personalities.
October 5th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Most people seem to think this is silly, but don’t we already have this in some form in the way of an employee handbook that every employee agrees to follow? We don’t call it a “good behavior contract,” but it does outline expectations and what is acceptable and not acceptable. It is the guide used for corrective action and written documentation when an employee does not follow the policies.
October 5th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
Ria makes a good point that most of the items listed are included in the employee handbook.
The idea of having all “employees sign a good behavior contract” that does not get handed down from HR and the top level of the organization is hard to swallow. We have every employee acknowledge receipt of the handbook upon hire and when updated. This communicates the company expectations. We don’t enter into a “good behavior contract,” because we are an “at will” employer and don’t want to muddy those waters. We have a progressive discipline policy that addresses problem behaviors according to their scope and severity, and addresses corrective action (which may include training, EAP, or specific instructions).
October 6th, 2009 at 8:28 am
Hmmm, when I first read the article I was felt this was a great idea to help a company make a shift away from established behaviors that are less than respectful. But then the group comments are not supportive of this “outside of the box” idea. Why are so many resistant to establishing a standard on how we collectively should treat each other? Yes, I agree this is in the handbook and that we should all have common courtesy and respect for each other. The reality is everyone has their own definition of what they expect or how they should respect others and this contributes a lot to the never ending office drama.
I especially like having clearly communicated expectations and when everyone is in agreement on group behaviors then I can’t help but imagine that there would be more harmony. No this would not be a fix all or cure all and it would quickly lose momentum if it was not enforced consistently, no matter if it was the CEO or mailroom person. I still believe if this was introduced as a first step to team development and each person was able to add their input and collectively agree on what they felt where the expected behaviors of everyone. Employees would be more in sync with each other and there would be a multitude of beneficial side benefits, (better communications, more job enjoyment, less dissention, better efficiencies…) This is my perspective of a new idea so let’s see how respectful the group is in their responses.
October 6th, 2009 at 11:14 am
Patrick, I agree with the need but this idea is not really “outside the box.” First, the concept of a “contract” has legal implications. The concept of “Good behavior” implies moral implications. So put them together and you find what is missing in ETHICS and ETHICS TRAINING. Most have turned it into another “legal” disciplinary system with a code and rules and punishments, rather than an establishment of professional expectations of what is “good behavior” and a set of expectations for each member to provide feedback and hold each other accountable.
What you strive for…better communications, more job enjoyment, less dissention, better efficiencies….don’t come from “good behavior contracts” but from people meeting to discuss problems, being assertive, utilizing active listening skills, following through on commitments, setting goals and objectives, and monitoring results. We at one time called them “Quality Circles”, but they have had many other names over the ages. Each time it is considered “new.”
October 6th, 2009 at 11:20 am
It’s called an employee handbook…
October 7th, 2009 at 10:49 am
I have worked for a couple of companies where this should have been mandatory. There are workplaces where poor behavior is tolerated. For those of saying “no brainer” to the article, go to work in transportation for a week. Try to be treated with respect on the phone or at a receiving warehouse dock. Poor behavior and rudeness are alive and well there, especially grocery warehouses. Maybe they didn’t read the employee handbook.
I worked (past tense) for a trucking company where a supervisor thought it would be a good idea to swear at me to get his point across. Needless to say I had to leave.
October 29th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
We have developed and implemented a Customer Service Pledge. I too had many concerns about calling it a contract, and that’s why it’s a pledge. It is information that is included in the employee handbook, with additional specifics. The team that developed the actual pledge document included many employees, and they were instrumental in developing language that was both specific and realistic. With a diverse workforce, one cannot safely assume that everyone knows appropriate workplace and interpersonal behaviors. Even seemingly basic items like knocking on closed doors are learned, and not everyone gets the same learning before they hit the workforce. All existing employees signed the pledge, and all new employees receive and sign the handbook and pledge at New Employee Orientation. It is one of many practices that contributes to better communication, the ability to address concerns in a productive and professional manner, and increased commitment and engagement of our employees.
October 30th, 2009 at 7:10 am
The standards via contract were signed and in associates chart when I started here one year ago and I do not see where people have behaviors that reflect that contract. I think it’s too easy to sign the contract, file it away, and never think of it again. There needs to be an entire culture shift, with the guiding behaviors a “part” of it. I am pushing towards having the guiding behaviors become a section with “weighed” scoring in yearly evaluations. We also currently only do “meets, exceeds, etc. expectations”. This pass/fail does not motivate people to strive for better. However, if I can get an “A” I don’t want a “C”.
October 30th, 2009 at 8:36 am
Part of the success of our pledge is that it is prominently posted in various areas. We also include in yearly evals.
November 1st, 2009 at 8:51 pm
It would be great if it worked but in my experience it is nigh on impossible to get the language level to a low enough level to actually reach the people who need and risks being offensive to those who don’t. If you don’t have the right values instilled iby the time you are an adult they are not likely to surface just because of a contract.