TO REACH SOMETHING NEW, START WITH THE SIMPLEST FORM OF BEHAVIOR, REINFORCE INCREASINGLY ACCURATE APPROXIMATIONS OF THE BEHAVIORS.

How might this apply to your business?
Video games use shaping to help players succeed at increasing challenges. Rather than immerse someone in your application, why not start with a small set of features and reveal more with use? Or, you could offer rewards for mastery of a subject or increasing proficiency to reach that behavior, reward completion of a step until mastered, then add in the next step as a prerequisite for receiving the reward.

WE ARE MORE LIKELY TO TAKE ACTION WHEN COMPLEX ACTIVITIES ARE BROKEN DOWN INTO SIMILAR TASKS.

How might this apply to your business?
It’s difficult to complete a complex task such as “create a bank account,” “complete a job application,” or “write to a member of Congress.” Instead, break down these complex tasks into small, easily completed actions. These can be steps in a sequence or simple a list of items that need to be completed to advance through the system.

See also: Shaping, Variable Rewards, Competition, Status, Reputation

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In the whirl of our day-to-day interactions, it’s all too easy to forget the nuances that distinguish great teams, great cultures, and great products/services.

TO REACH SOMETHING NEW, START WITH THE SIMPLEST FORM OF BEHAVIOR, REINFORCE INCREASINGLY ACCURATE APPROXIMATIONS OF THE BEHAVIORS. ﻿

WE ARE MORE LIKELY TO TAKE ACTION WHEN COMPLEX ACTIVITIES ARE BROKEN DOWN INTO SIMILAR TASKS.

TO REACH SOMETHING NEW, START WITH THE SIMPLEST FORM OF BEHAVIOR, REINFORCE INCREASINGLY ACCURATE APPROXIMATIONS OF THE BEHAVIORS.