You can decrease the frequency of any behavior through punishment, but why not give some thought to reciprocal inhibition? Reciprocal inhibition is the process of defining the opposite of the undesirable behavior and reinforcing the positive instead. Reciprocal inhibition can be useful for leaders in helping change behaviors aiming for high reliability. For example, instead of punishing errors, reward quality.

Considering your organization, or a health care organization you are familiar with, that:

• Describes how and where reciprocal inhibition might be used to improve patient outcomes in quality and improve patient safety.
• Explains how using reciprocal inhibition may be an improvement in the culture of quality. Include any steps that will foster a culture of quality in an organization to become a high-reliability organization.
• Recommend at least one strategy for overcoming the challenges of fostering a culture of high reliability.