In his recent blog, Walter Chen challenges the theory of motivation presented 70 years ago by Abraham Maslow in his book, Hierarchy of Needs. Chen writes about autonomy, empowerment, the need for belonging, and the importance of positive reinforcement, citing research that shows how Maslow’s theory is incorrect.

This makes us reflect on writings from more than thirty years ago – Ken Blanchard’s international best seller, The One Minute Manager.  In it is the celebrated expression, “Catch Someone doing Something Right.”

Maybe we coin an adaptation, combining the best of both – “Reinforce someone doing something significant.”