Bringing Out the Best in People (Hardcover)

by Aubrey Daniels (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The classic bestseller on performance management is updated to reflect changes in today's working environment. When an employer needs to know how to gain maximum performance from employees, renowned behavioral psychologist--Aubrey Daniels is the man to consult. What has made Daniels the man with the answers? His ability to apply scientifically based behavioral stimuli to the workplace while making it fun at the same time.

Now Daniels updates his ground-breaking book with the latest and best motivational methods, perfected at such companies as Xerox, 3M, and Kodak. All-new material shows how to: create effective recognition and rewards systems in line with today's employees want; Stimulate innovations and creativity in new and exciting ways; overcome problems associated with poorly educated workers; motivate young employees from the minute they join the workforce.

From the Back Cover
A powerfully positive system for gaining maximum performance from every employee.

What motivates people? What encourages employees to work to their fullest potential, not just for a short while but for the long haul? Many managerial fads promising quick fixes have come and gone, but none have approached the success experienced by organizations that have employed Aubrey Daniel's groundbreaking motivational methods. Bringing Out the Best in People, New & Updated Edition, provides the latest and best motivational methods currently in use at such major companies as Xerox, 3M, and Kodak. Applying scientifically based behavioral stimuli to the workplace while making it fun at the same time, author on performance, Aubrey Daniels, describes practical, precise, data-oriented methods to help you implement a management system that will maximize the long-term performance of every aspect of your company.

All-new material shows you how to:

Create effective recognition and rewards systems in line with what today's employees want; Stimulate innovation and creativity in new and exciting ways; Overcome problems associated with poorly educated workforce.

Here, you'll learn the secrets of:
Finding reinforces that work - and tailoring them to meet individual employees' needs. Setting fair performance measurement standards - and implementing them with minimal cost and effort. Providing continual feedback - so employees always know exactly how to improve performance...and when they've achieved it. And much more!

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 245 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 2 edition (December 21, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071351450
• ISBN-13: 978-0071351454
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #70,197 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ... being scientific and open-minded..., September 24, 2004

By	Leo E. Walsh "ebraynz" (Mentor, Oh United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After being promoted to management, I needed to learn how to manage. And my company offered us three day's worth of training... hardly enough to really grasp the ins and outs of how to shape other's behavior. However, the most highly skilled of the presenters mentioned this book, and felt that behavioral modification was the only true key to managing effectively.

I scoffed initially.

Being a twentieth century American, I thought behaviorism was dead. Skinner struck me as cold ... but, being a scientific and open-minded man, I purchased the book. And I'm glad I did.

I can say this without batting an eye: because of Aubrey Daniels' book, not only are my teams consistently strong performing teams, I know how I got there. So, when I get a new batch of team members, I can apply the same principles, and see the results right away. In fact, learning about this book is the most useful thing I learned in that aforementioned week of leadership training.

What are Daniel's principles? First of all, that people do what they do because of reinforcement. Reinforcement comes in two main forms: positive and negative. Negative reinforcement does not necessarily mean punishment, but that positive reinforcement is withheld. Punishment is a subset of negative reinforcement, largely overused.

Daniels then goes on to show the "ABC's" of behavior (Antecedent, Behavior, Consequences), and illustrate why some behaviors are not easy to shape (the consequences are uncertain). Once you understand the basics, it becomes easy to look for opportunities to shape your reports' behaviors by rewarding what you want then to do ... making the UNCERTAIN consequence CERTAIN: "If I do this, my manager will be happy," instead of the UNCERTAIN, "I am not sure if this will work... Will my peers scoff at me?..." Daniels finishes up with several insightful case studies about how his principles have been applied in the real world. This can give you solid ideas on how to apply them in your neck of the woods.


All told, one of the greatest, most practical, and easiest to use management books I've read. And, thanks to Skinner and a rash of behaviorists in the 50's and 60's, the most scientifically validated.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Skinner Would be Proud, January 16, 2003

By	Ron Atkins "Ron" (California) - See all my reviews

Dr. Daniels brings the subject of behavior analysis to a level where human resource managers can understand the concepts of performance management and actually apply his principles of scientific employee management. For anti-behaviorists (those who fear being controlled by the human tendency to adapt behavior in order to receive rewards and avoid punishment) this book is a nightmare. Daniels succinctly describes the behavior analysis process and how employers can use it to improve organizational effectiveness and efficiency by "pinpointing" job performance standards and incentive programs. A must read for any manager. His chapter on incentive plans was particularly insightful and illustrates the fallacies of most reward systems.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent,superior, one of the best., August 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Bringing Out the Best in People: How to Apply the Astonishing Power of Positive Reinforcement (Hardcover)

Simple and straight forward. Great guide to understand human behavior and an outstanding blue print for controlling consequinces. Without a doubt one of the best, if not the best, books on motivation that I have ever read. Why and how to. Rudy Andl, Pres. IBC Recruiting Services Inc. IBCRecruiting.com