The Science of Momentum: Building Unstoppable Organizational Change

Every organization wants sustainable change. Yet 70% of change initiatives fail. While we've explored various behavioral principles in my other newsletters, there's one scientific principle that ties them all together: behavioral momentum. When combined with an understanding of reinforcement, behavioral shaping, and functions of behavior, this principle becomes a powerful tool for lasting change.

A Tale of Two Changes

Let me share a story of how behavior momentum intersects with the other principles we've been discussing.

Two fire districts were implementing the same online training platform. Fire District A took what I call the "traditional approach": they made a big announcement, they provided a training in how to use the platform, they set a firm deadline and then rolled out the 'required' trainings on the new platform. Familiar, right? We know this approach well. The problem? It often results in no one actually using the platform and trainings not being completed.

The Chief at Fire District B, however, applied what he learned about shaping behaviors and functions of behavior. He analyzed why staff might not use the new platform or complete trainings (see my Function-Based Leadership newsletter). He discovered that the biggest problem was not remembering the steps to log in and then see what trainings were on the docket. So he made a plan to start small. He made a checklist that detailed the steps to log in and check the training docket and put it next to every computer in every fire house. He then made a couple trainings that were short and could be completed within a couple minutes. He gave the Battalion Chiefs (BCs) an update at the beginning of each shift on who completed which training. The BCs then gave this update at the beginning of their shift to each captain. Captains provided feedback - positive to those who completed the trainings; reminders for those who did not. Then the chief rolled out a larger training. Then another and another.

The result? Fire District A didn't complete their required trainings. In fact, only about 20% of all staff completed their required trainings each year without repeated threats, write ups and other corrective actions. Fire District B; however, only had to use corrective action with 20% of their staff.

The Science Behind the Success

This is where our previous discussions about reinforcement systems and behavior shaping come together. Behavioral momentum explains why some behaviors persist while others fade (for a full explanation and the mathematical equation of behavioral momentum, see Nevin (2011)). Behavior is similar to that of a moving object - once in motion, the more momentum it has, the harder it is to stop it. Behavior is the same way, once it starts, the more momentum it has (which is created by smaller behaviors accessing immediate reinforcement), the harder it is to stop. The key is to build momentum in responding and then increase the response effort so that the actual work is being completed. The better you are in building the initial behavior, the more likely you will be in continuing it when the behavior gets more difficult.

Momentum builds through three key elements discussed in previous newsletters:

1. High rates of reinforcement
2. Small, successful responses
3. Contextual stability

Making It Work In The Real World

Let's look at how this works with a real example that brings together everything we've discussed.

One organization was dealing with staff burnout. Initially, leadership wanted to implement a wellness and mental health program. Instead, we:

Used an ABC Analysis to understand the current situation

• Antecedents: Heavy workload, back-to-back work tasks with no time for break or recovery
• Behaviors: Rushed work, skipped breaks, lots of errors in procedures
• Consequences: Increased stress, decreased quality, increase complaints

Applied Function-Based Leadership to understand why current patterns persisted

Designed a Shaping Plan with reinforcement systems to build momentum:

Week 1: 1-min 'breathing time' between work tasks; provided positive feedback any time someone was observe doing this

Week 2: Provided nutritious snacks and drinks that could be grabbed on the go; provided weekly 'nourishment updates' about how people were taking advantage of this (in other words, provided how many snacks and drinks were consumed)

Week 3: Introduced peer-support pairs; identified newer or more burned out staff and paired them with more seasoned and less stressed staff

Week 4: Provided immediate praise each time one was observed 'breathing', eating or drinking a healthy snack, or meeting with their pair

Week 5: Reviewed errors in procedures and provided feedback

It was not until the small success of the other behaviors were observed, that were focused on self-care and easier to do, that the review in procedural errors was implemented. This final step went much further because behavioral momentum was already in full swing.

Ready to Transform Your Leadership?

Try identifying an opportunity to build behavioral momentum to accomplish a larger task. If you're eager for more or would like your own personalized roadmap to Kind Leadership, contact me for a 30-minute strategy session, where we will

• Analyze your current change challenges using an ABC analysis
• Identify your key momentum opportunities
• Create a preliminary momentum map

Remember: Change doesn't have to be hard. When you combine behavioral momentum with reinforcement, shaping, and function-based strategies, you can make positive change inevitable.