Motivate U

Many common supervisory challenges begin with expectations that are too vague to guide employee behavior effectively. Instructions such as “be more professional,” “show initiative,” or “improve documentation” may sound reasonable, but they provide little information about the specific actions required for success. This course introduces pinpointing, a foundational skill in Organizational Behavior Management, to help supervisors describe workplace performance in observable, measurable terms.

Participants will learn to distinguish between behaviors and results, recognize mentalistic explanations of performance, and create clear behavioral definitions that support reliable observation and evaluation. Examples drawn from clinical and human service environments demonstrate how precise definitions improve communication, accountability, feedback, and staff development.

The course also provides an applied introduction to performance measurement, including selecting appropriate dimensions of behavior, establishing baselines, graphing performance, using self-monitoring, and avoiding common measurement errors. Participants will explore practical approaches to collecting meaningful data without creating unnecessarily complicated or burdensome systems.

By the end of the course, participants will have a framework for replacing subjective impressions with measurable performance indicators and using those indicators to support more effective supervision.