Masonry Magazine September 2001 Page. 24
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
Some years ago, a team of psychologists conducted an unusual experiment involving a group of elementary school children. The psychologists randomly selected a number of students before the school year began and told their teacher that these students possessed great academic potential and would perform exceptionally well over the course of the year. These students were no different than their peers but the teacher didn't know this.
What happened? The students with "high potential" performed exceptionally well over the course of the school year and, by the end of the year, outscored their peers in standardized tests. This experiment has been replicated a number of times, in a number of different settings.
If you manage people or relationships, the bottom line results of this experiment are highly relevant to you: people generally behave and perform the way you expect them to behave and perform. Expect higher production, for instance, and you may well get it. Expect increased sales and your sales may well go up. Expect any kind of positive, uplifting performance and (more on page 26)
MOTIVATING OTHERS
TOWARD EXCELLENCE
By Richard G. Ensman, Jr.