Change

Transformational or incremental alterations in the status quo where people's behaviour and/or working practices have to change.

All change inevitably involves behaviour change. Despite the fact that it is popular to talk about changing attitudes, in the last analysis it is always behaviour that needs to change. If someone changed their attitudes but not their behaviour, that would be deemed a failure. If, on the other hand, someone changed their behaviour in the required direction then, regardless of whether this was accompanied by an attitudinal change or not, it would be hailed as a success.

Changing behaviour is always an uphill struggle because, quite understandably, people prefer the convenience of sticking to the behaviour patterns they have come to know and love rather than the inconvenience and upheaval of switching to behaviours that are new and unfamiliar. For this reason, changes always provoke some form of resistance (see Resistance to change).

There are four alternative strategies for introducing change. The key to success is to use a strategy, or combination of strategies, appropriate to the type of resistance.

If the resistance stems from parochial self-interest (ie people are going to lose something of value as a result of the change) then the best strategy is to negotiate by offering incentives to the resisters or potential resisters.

If the resistance stems from misunderstandings or lack of trust (ie people through ignorance imagine they are going to lose something of value as a result of the change) then the best strategy is to educate by communicating the reasons for, and benefits of, the change.

An education programme works best where there is a good relationship between the initiators and resisters otherwise the latter may not believe what they hear.

If the resistance stems from different assessments (ie people have different perceptions of the changes that are necessary) then the best strategy is to involve the resisters, or potential resisters, in some form of participative programme. Involving others makes very good sense when the initiators of change recognise that they do not have all the information or that they need the wholehearted support of others to design and implement the change. Considerable research has shown that participation leads to commitment, not just compliance.

If the resistance stems from a low tolerance for change (ie people are fearful that they will not be able to cope) then the best strategy is to force the change through and support and reinforce the resultant new behaviours. This strategy needs more explanation than the previous three.

The argument in favour of this strategy is rather similar to those in support of legislation designed to force people to change their ways and thus learn new patterns of behaviour. Legislation of this kind is always controversial (examples are racial and sexual discrimination, legislation to force motorcyclists to wear helmets, motorists to wear seat belts and so on) since they explicitly coerce people into changing, regardless of protests and appeals to ‘free will’. Coercion gambles that the forced change will put people in a situation where they will eventually come to terms with the change. The following simplification shows the vicious circle that coercion seeks to break.

The key to success is the combination of force and support, the latter being conditional upon the occurrence of the changed behaviour. If support and encouragement are lacking then the strategy is unlikely to succeed, since realigned thoughts (attitudes) and feelings will not result. The force and support strategy is really an extension of behaviour modification.

When it comes to changing your own behaviour, as opposed to other people’s, it is best to employ a slightly adapted version of behaviour modification. The steps are:

1. List the behaviours that you would like to change or improve.
   
   
2. Put the unwanted behaviours in order of importance.
   
   
3. Select one unwanted behaviour for change (ie an important one that you’d really like to improve).
   
   
4. Identify exactly when the unwanted behaviour occurs - the cues that trigger it.
   
   
5. Identify what pay-offs you get as a result of using the unwanted behaviour.
   
   
6. Be specific about the behaviour you want to change to.
   
   
7. See if you can do anything to change the cues so that the unwanted behaviour isn’t triggered and the wanted behaviour is.
   
   
8. Work out how to reward yourself whenever you are successful in using the wanted, as opposed to the unwanted, behaviour.