It’s BS… but not as we know it!
Whilst it was a hot topic throughout the pandemic, BS – or behavioural science – arguably remains one of the most untapped value-adding tools to help individuals, teams and organisations to thrive.
Behavioural science is the understanding of human behaviour and how to positively change it. In the context of business, it’s often not about reinventing the wheel, and more about nudging initiatives in the right direction by using real insights to help make better decisions and maximise impact.
In essence, if there’s a project or process that involves people, behavioural science can likely add value.
It’s not rocket science, but it is still a science
Behavioural science is grounded in psychology and there are many ways the evidence-based, proven theories can add value in your organisation. Here are a few examples where we’ve seen it make a real difference:
- Proactively communicating positive social norms: We typically behave in line with what we perceive as ‘normal’ and this often defines the reality of workplace culture. By utilising the power of your internal communication channels, you can actively share stories of those within your organisation who truly bring the values to life. The more we communicate these positive stories, the more social cues there are to reinforce positive workplace culture. So, who in your organisation is bringing your values to life both inside and outside of work? Whose stories can you celebrate?
- Using data insights for decision making: We often make important decisions without understanding the reality and we subsequently miss opportunities to positively influence behaviour. Data insights are the feedback gift for decision makers. For example, one organisation analysed the absences of their retail contact centre and found an increase in mental health absences in the run up to Christmas. As a result of this insight, they implemented a targeted mental health campaign to help their employees in a meaningful way. Where are the opportunities in your organisation to gain value-adding insights?
- Identifying barriers to behaviour change: Actively listening to your employees, ensuring that their voice is heard and valued, is a critical component to getting change right. Change should never be ‘done to’ and instead should always ‘done with’ your employees. This goes hand-in-hand with understanding the facilitators of behaviour to really make sustainable change happen.
- Strengths-based talent and leadership development: Having the right structures in place to empower each and every one of your employees is a fundamental strategy to achieving a thriving workplace. This is exactly where the Delve Talent Tool can help.
- Improving employee response rates: The science shows us that if we know others have taken action towards something, we’re more likely to take action ourselves. You could, therefore, openly and regularly communicate the response rate to your employee engagement survey whilst it’s live to boost responses. It’s fascinating to see the difference this makes.
The power is in your hands
The strength of behavioural science cannot be underestimated. It’s a way to refine what you do to create greater impact and, more often than not, deliver a greater return on investment. Remember, if there’s a project or process that involves people, behavioural science can likely add value.
It takes a deep understanding of human behaviour and appreciation of how it applies in your business to make sure the application of this approach has the intended outcomes that you desire. You may decide to hire a behavioural science specialist or, equally, you may decide to work with a consultancy as a source of tried-and-tested expertise.
As the saying goes, “with great power comes great responsibility”; using behavioural science in a way that’s aligned to your organisational values can enhance your culture, empower hyper-performing teams and be a force for good.
Where to go next
We’d love for you to get in touch with us to explore how we may be able to help you.
In the meantime, here’s some light reading that may inspire you:
Forbes – Bringing Behavioural Science out of Academia and into the Real World
Harvard Business Review – Using Behavioural Science to Improve Well-Being for Workers