How do you embed and reinforce the new behaviors and mindsets that support your strategic goals?

There's something that feels dirty and inauthentic about a statement that leads with ‘effective ways..to reinforce mindsets..is to align incentives…’ Mindsets shouldn't be manipulated. There should be buy-in because of a cause, and belief its the right thing to do.

It is necessary to match rewards and incentives with desired results in order to embed and reinforce new behaviors and mindsets that support strategic goals. Organizations can encourage staff members to embrace and maintain the intended changes by putting in place reward systems that identify and highlight actions that are in line with the strategic objectives. This could take the shape of cash rewards, honors systems, chances for professional growth, or other positive reinforcement techniques. Continual coaching, training, and feedback can also help staff members comprehend the significance of the new behaviors and foster an environment that aligns with the organization's strategic direction.

One of the most important tactics for ingraining and sustaining new attitudes and behaviors that advance strategic objectives is to match incentives and rewards. Organizations can encourage employees to align their actions with strategic objectives by reinforcing the relevance of desired behaviors and providing recognition, bonuses, and other rewards for people or teams that exhibit them. These behaviors and mindset are further cemented within the organizational culture, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and alignment with strategic goals.

100% true. People do what they are incentivized, and think that their bosses want them to do. That’s true for you and true for me. Incentives look like money, recognition, promotion, good projects, flexibility, headcount, trust, feedback (good and bad), opportunity to “do work that matters”.

My initial thoughts run to leadership Role modeling, management or Leadership should exemplify the desired behaviors and mindsets themselves, serving as role models for the rest of the organization. Their actions and communication should consistently reinforce the strategic goals and values. develop a habit of feedback and recognition, Establish mechanisms for providing regular feedback and recognition to staff who demonstrate the desired behaviors and mindsets. Celebrate successes and acknowledge progress towards strategic goals to reinforce desired behaviors.

Strategic goals are very often an end point that has many routes and means of achieving it. That is why is essential to communicate this to all stakeholders and be willing to listen to all input that has been offered.

To foster new behaviors and mindsets, consider creating an interactive and participatory environment where stakeholders are not just informed but actively involved. This goes beyond regular communication; it means co-creating strategies and solutions with stakeholders through workshops, hackathons, or collaborative platforms. Instead of merely sharing updates, emphasize storytelling and real-life case studies to make the information more relatable and impactful. Leveraging diverse and innovative communication channels, such as immersive virtual experiences or interactive dashboards, can also enhance engagement and create a more dynamic exchange of ideas and feedback.

This should be a daily habit! You will want to keep your finger on the pulse and know exactly how your campaigns are doing, what’s working what is flopping. Making quick decisions to change a tactic can be a great way to stay on track - and keep your strategic goals. This can only happen if you monitor closely!

Data is data. Without human interpretation it doesn’t mean anything. You need someone to interpret the data and make a plan of action based on the data! Keep reading data, and making adjustments in your tactics based on your findings. It’s a constant process.

This is probably the most important of all. Without the celebration (and a big emphasis on celebrating the achievement) its almost pointless having set a goal in the first place. Nobody is encouraged by an hollow victory. You have gone through the hard work in ensuring the goals were clear and everyone has contributed in achieving them (otherwise it would be sheer chance that it was achieved) the best way to show that appreciation is to celebrate the success and ensure all stakeholders are part of that celebration.

Two things I would add are: 1. Nudging (see nudge theory) - one good example I've seen of this was when an organization I worked for put a "wellness kit" in every conference room to promote wellness breaks in meetings as part of a wellness initiative. It contained stress balls and other fidget toys, dice with movement break activities, etc. 2. Leadership example - what employees see their leaders do typically counts for more than anything else. Leaders must not only exemplify the desired behavior, but also lead the celebration/appreciation.

The best way to embed the new behaviors is to include Change Management (people-side or organizational) in the strategy implementation and recognize its importance to achieve benefits and sustainability. Change Management deals with people, their emotions, fears, and behaviors. Its main objectives are to guide people through the change, assess rejection, reduce resistance, promote adoption, and embed the change in the business-as-usual stage.

In my experience, embedding and reinforcing new behaviors and mindsets to support strategic goals involves several key steps: 1. Clear Communication: Articulate goals and needed behaviors. 2. Leadership Example: Leaders model desired behaviors. 3. Training and Development: Provide resources and training. 4. Alignment of Systems: Ensure processes support new behaviors. 5. Regular Feedback: Offer feedback and celebrate successes. 6. Continuous Improvement: Assess and adjust as needed. By integrating these elements, organizations can create an environment where new behaviors and mindsets are continuously reinforced and aligned with strategic objectives.