Why Does Behavioral Change Fail Too Often?

Organizations struggle a lot with shaping behavioral change. Apparently, they do not know enough how to do that successfully. For example, they want to implement a new set of core values that are essential for the organization to succeed, but unfortunately they do not succeed to make the desired transition. Or organizations want a more servant leadership style in the workplace, but the managers still show too much autocratic leadership, despite of all the leadership training and courses they have attended. How could this be?

 

Neuroplasticity:

First of all, it is important to reflect on what happens in the brain when people change behavior. New networks are being created in the brain. Clusters of brain cells are going to form new structures or networks. These new structures represent the new behavior. These new structures are formed by practicing a lot. By showing the new behavior more frequently, new structures are created. If one practice too little, no new structures arise. This also means that the new behavior will not lasted. The most important reason why behavioral change often fails is thus because people exercise too little. Sufficient practice is necessity to change behavior!

 

There are many reasons why people do not practice enough. A few are discussed  in this newsletter.

 

1. People practice only occasionally

To have optimum effect, it is necessary that one practice frequently in a short period of time. If you exercise occasionally, the impulses are too small to create new brain paths. As a result, people fall back into the old behavior very quickly. Try to practice at least daily and do this consistently for 66 days.

 

2. People lived by the issues of the day

If you want to change your behavior, you must be aware that you have to practice. You need attention and focus for that. Without this attention and concentration you are easily pushed to continue doing it the old way. So it is very important to be very aware of the change. Plan time to practice! Otherwise the chance is too big that the issues of the day will take over.

 

3. Change is too stressful

The brain is mainly concerned with survival, and will try to maintain the status quo. Behavioral change goes against this. The brain responds to this by producing a stress response. If you do not recognize this, you will go along with the stress response, so you may decide not to practice anymore. Many managers are too empathetic for this stress. So, there is minimal room for empathy for the stress. It is better to encourage to practice the new behavior. It is certainly important to explain this process as well.

 

4. Insufficient motivation

Many behavioral changes are imposed from above. The Management Team has decided something and the rest is expected to follow. This can lead to resistance and low motivation. Effective behavioral change requires intrinsic motivation. Mere extrinsic motivation is often not enough. If a change needs to come then it is important to ensure that the people themselves become the owners of the change. Therefore pay a lot of attention to the ownership of the change. By stimulating ownership, you also ensure that people are intrinsically motivated, even if it is imposed from above.

 

5. People continue to do the old behavior

If you want to drive for example in Suriname you have to learn to drive on the left side of the road. However, when you return to Curacao, you have to drive right again. In this case you do not just want to learn new behavior, but you also want to retain the old behavior. With behavioral change in the workplace it is often not the intention that you also have to keep the old behavior. In many cases you really have to stop doing something. Therefore, it is wise to state exactly what this new behavior looks like. The more concrete you can make it, the more chance of success!

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Behavioral change is not difficult at all. People experience it as difficult because they practice too little and talk too much about why it doesn't work. I am convinced that if you want and you practice enough, you can change behavior successfully.

 

Source: “The Valk Leadership”