[01:28.78]Today, I want to talk about self-regulatory focus theory and how the actions of leaders can affect the way followers approach different situations.
[01:39.84]Self-regulatory focus theory is a theory developed by Tori Higgins.
[01:46.22]He says that a person's focus at any given time is to either approach pleasure or avoid pain.
[01:55.42]These are two basic motivations that each and every one of us has, and they cause us to have different kinds of goals.
[02:05.35] Promotion goals in different life situations emphasise achievement.
[02:11.32]Prevention goals are oriented towards the avoidance of punishment.
[02:18.37]In a specific situation, our thoughts might focus more on promotion goals or more on prevention goals.
[02:29.38]The theory suggests that two factors affect which goals we are focusing on.
[02:36.42]First, there is a chronic factor.
[02:40.30] This factor is connected to a person’s personality and says that each person has a basic tendency to either focus more on promotion goals or focus more on prevention goals as part of his or her personality.
[02:58.69] Second, there is a situational factor which means that the context we are in can make us more likely to focus on one set of goals or the other.
[03:11.59]For example, we are more likely to be thinking about pleasure and to have promotion goals when we are spending time with a friend.
[03:22.20]In contrast, if we are working on an important project for our boss, we are more likely to try to avoid making mistakes and therefore have more prevention goals in our mind.
[03:38.80]Research has shown that the goals we are focusing on at a given time affect the way we think.
[03:46.90]For example, when focusing on promotion goals, people consider their ideal self, their aspirations and gains.
[03:57.51]They don't think about what they can lose, so they think in a happier mode.
[04:03.80]They feel more inspired to change.
[04:07.36]When people are focusing on prevention goals, they think about their “ought” self.
[04:14.15]What are they supposed to be?
[04:17.30]What are people expecting from them?
[04:19.75]They consider their obligations to others.
[04:23.54]As a result, they experience more anxiety and try to avoid situations where they could lose.
[04:35.87]Now that I have talked about the two focuses and how they affect people, I want to look at the idea that the way leaders behave, or their style of leading, can affect the focus that followers adopt in a specific situation.
[04:55.10]In talking about leadership, we often mention transformational leaders and transactional leaders.
[05:05.56] Transformational leaders, when interacting with their followers, focus on their development.
[05:13.31]In their words and actions transformational leaders highlight change.
[05:19.43]Their speech is passionate and conveys a definitive vision.
[05:25.43]All of these things can encourage followers to think about what could be.
[05:31.76]In other words, they inspire a promotion focus in their followers.
[05:38.65]In contrast, transactional leaders focus on developing clear structures that tell their followers exactly what is expected of them.
[05:51.46]While they do explain the rewards people will get for following orders, they emphasise more how a follower will be punished or that a follower won't get rewarded if his or her behaviour doesn't change.
[06:08.57]In short, they emphasise the consequences of making a mistake.
[06:14.36]This emphasis will clearly lead followers to focus on avoiding punishment and problems.
[06:22.62]This is clearly a prevention focus.
[06:26.12]In conclusion, it is important to understand that one focus is not necessarily better than the other one.
[06:36.70]For a designer who works in a field where a lot of innovation is needed, a promotion focus is probably better.
[06:45.20]In contrast, a prevention focus which causes people to work more cautiously and produce higher quality work might be very appropriate for a job like a surgeon, for example.
[06:59.52]The main point of the research, though, is that the actions of leaders can greatly influence whether people approach a situation with more of a promotion focus or more of a prevention focus.
