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If strategy is to be successfully executed, and bring effective turnaround in business performance, we need to communicate what it is that we want employees to do.  In other words how to behave.  This is obvious. But organisations often find this hard to implement in practical ways. Perhaps this is because communication is, by definition, open to interpretation.  Encoding and decoding, rather like the raft of confusing codex in any multimedia environment, is a fluid process and open to errors of configuration.

behavioural influencers

The Viral Change approach to organisational change is refreshing in its ‘bottom up’ approach: what will strategic excellence look like for us as an organisation and what will people be doing?  What are the 5 or 6 or so, critical behaviours that are going to achieve this for us? Sounds easy perhaps. But this needs careful attention and consideration (worthy of separate post).

Then as part of this ‘viral’ spread of change, we need to find those people who are already demonstrating this behaviour, for this is ‘excellence’ based on our future strategic needs.  Strategy is, after all, about where we want to be, and behaviour is about how we are going to get there.

So, given that we want to spread a certain set of behaviours, those that are deemed as excellent or noteworthy – those worth copying – modelling is one of the fundamental ways of ‘communicating’ that behaviour. Of course, I am talking from an NLP modelling perspective here and whilst this might present a rather lengthy process in its full programme, there are certainly useful learnings in change to be drawn from the formal modelling process.

The two elements to consider in modelling skills and behaviour are the observable, externally presented behaviour and also the internal mechanisms and strategies that individuals have developed (often subconsciously), or ‘what makes people tick’. 

The individual’s external behaviour is influenced by the higher logical levels of learning and change, such as capabilities and beliefs/values (see earlier posts on this topic), so it is to these that we must look for the deeper strategies for change.  The first step in the modelling process is usually implicit modelling; through that state of ‘not knowing’ an observer models the externally presented behaviour of the subject to gain insight (through the feeling mind) into state, thought processes, beliefs and attitudes. 

Then explicit modelling – the formal, interview type structure – is used to build on this model. Viral Change is focused on influencing external behaviour; external behaviour is observable and we can describe it accurately through language. However, if a successful behavioural change agent’s most important capabilities are internal (ie. thinking and feeling processes) – and often unknown to them – it is probably important to spend some attention in this area too.

Most people today accept that their ability to behave effectively is influenced by their feelings, way of thinking, beliefs, values and sense of identity. It therefore becomes crucial to identify thinking strategies and other ‘intangibles’ that are so important in ensuring these ‘change agents’ have the resources to maintain the momentum that the struggling organisation needs.  The problem is that often people are not conscious of what is going on for them – they are ‘unconsciously competent’ at the behaviour and have never picked apart what it is they do.

Here, a process of ‘macro modelling’ can be useful to help the individual understand what it is they do, and therefore facilitate transference of this behaviour overtly to others (through viral and other communication channels) but also to help the individual being modelled to demonstrate those strengths more of the time, especially when under duress or when facing difficulties.

For example if a required behaviour is ‘keeping customer promises’, macro modelling is undertaken in the following way:

1. Locate a time and space representing the context in which the person manifests ‘delivering on

macro modelling

promises’.   Find the beliefs and values which guide him in this context.

2. Locate another space for a context in which the person is not able to manifest ‘delivering on promises’.  Find the beliefs and values which are different in this context.

3. Establish a new location for a third position in which the person can view both the effective and the ineffective contexts.  From this perspective evaluate the similarities and differences between 1st and 2nd contexts with respect to beliefs, values and anticipated consequences.

4. Have the person return to each of these positions and from each one, move to action, or see the next steps he or she would take, as well as consequences related to those actions or steps.  This helps them to consider the ‘larger system’ in which they demonstrate this behaviour.

5. Add a 4th perspective, from which to consider all three.  From here, evaluate the presuppositions, assumptions, skills and capabilities operating in the evaluations that were made in the 3rd position space.  Are they appropriate? How did you select what constituted ‘delivering on promises’? What did you presuppose about values and beliefs in those contexts?  etc

This process helps to build up the model of how that person ‘does’ this behaviour both in terms of actual behaviour as well as mental processes.  And the simpler this model is, the more effective it will be in application.  The understanding gained (through this and other tools), can of course, be used to develop a profile by which to ’recruit’ similar behavioural change champions for the programme. 

Whilst a formal modelling process is not required for a Viral Change programme, an understanding of the tools and benefits of modelling is very helpful in ensuring the programme’s success.  Changeworks Communications undertakes regular modelling and viral change programmes for large and medium sized organisations.  Contact Sue (sue@changeworkscom.co.uk) for more information.

Communication is often more about what we do than what we say. When it comes to behavioural change we communicate more effectively by living and breathing the behaviour that we want to see in others. Albert Bandura, a leading social psychologist, has spent his entire life proving this.

Bandura proposed that people learn by observation, rather than by taking direct action and being given rewards or punishments. Back in the ’60′s, when he was doing his research with the Bobo doll experiments, his opinion was sidelined but through a lifetime dedicated to proving his theory in every conceivable field he has become the leading proponent of the role of social modelling on human motivation.  His model stresses the importance of cognition and self regulatory/self reflective processes in adaptation and change in human beings.

Bandura’s theory has been used in everything from phobia cures to social transformation.  And it is certainly useful to consider in organisational change and change communication. A pivotal concept is the influence that positive role models have over the behaviour of others; particularly when those role models are considered to be ‘people like us’. This is also highly motivational in application because it essentially gives people control back over their choices concerning behaviour and action. This is highly empowering giving them the self efficacy where they will believe (or come to believe) they have the ability to influence and change things by changing their own behaviour.

Positive role models can be used to overcome established norms and culture and new behaviours, attitudes and beliefs will ensue, which will ultimately result in a tipping point in cultural change. This is by no means recommending a ‘brain wash’ approach, because it is critical that people have a choice in change. However through modelling a variety of behaviours, both good and bad examples, and influencing and rewarding the right behaviour, individuals can find their own path to the end journey.

Certainly Bandura’s theories are useful when applied to the Viral Change approach.  In particular, by sharing the stories of those who have struggled with change and bringing their journey through the process of struggle to successful change to life, others can see that ‘people like me’ have had their own challenges and this encourages them to persevere. This sharing of experiences and journeys instills the belief that people have the efficacy to overcome their own challenges.

Here is a interesting broadcast on BBC Radio 4′s Mind Changers programme talking about the work of Bandura and how his theories and principles are being used in mass communication, such as Radio and TV, to produce society-wide changes based on social modelling and thereby bringing about dramatic changes to global problems.

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