That’s Great, What’s Next?

There are a bunch of great videos on YouTube showing people celebrating their win too early but end up losing games, championships, races, and more. In sports, there are times when things look certain to go one direction, but due to a great play, extraordinary luck, or carelessness, the outcome is completely different. Right when the person or team thinks they have won, something amazing happens, and they are shocked.

The reason why this is works as a YouTube video is that the reveal happens immediately. The volleyball team is celebrating–but then, the other team makes an amazing play and recovers. The runner is showboating right before the finish line when another runner passes him. A football player is dancing right before the goal line when a defender catches up to him. It is obvious seconds later that they were celebrating too soon.

In sports, it is probably just overexcitement that gets players celebrating a couple of seconds too early. In behavior analysis under normal working conditions, we have huge pressure to celebrate early. Parents want to know about the successes that their children are having. Effective management requires that we celebrate success with staff. School districts and insurance companies require that we report whether goals are “mastered” or not.

The problem is that many of those goals won’t matter too much since the results might not maintain over time–which is unfortunately too common. I was lucky that as a young professional, Patricia Krantz explained this problem to me very well. Pat recognized how essential it was to celebrate, but she also understood that milestones often don’t lead to a major difference in the child’s life without more effort. When reporting on success, she would constantly ask the question, “That’s great, what’s next?”

That’s the way to do it. Sure, celebrate each success. That’s important. Just not too much. Too much celebration leads to overconfidence. Much better to say, “That’s great, what’s next?” Acknowledge the success, but immediately start working on what’s left to do.

Behavior analytic services should only be delivered in the context of a professional relationship. Nothing written in this blog should be considered advice for any specific individual. The purpose of the blog is to share my experience, not to provide treatment. Please get advice from a professional before making changes to behavior analytic services being delivered. Nothing in this blog including comments or correspondence should be considered an agreement for Dr. Barry D. Morgenstern to provide services or establish a professional relationship outside of a formal agreement to do so. I attempt to write this blog in “plain English” and avoid technical jargon whenever possible. But all statements are meant to be consistent with behavior analytic literature, practice, and the professional code of ethics. If, for whatever reason, you think I’ve failed in the endeavor, let me know and I’ll consider your comments and make revisions, if appropriate. Feedback is always appreciated as I’m always trying to Poogi.