Reinforcements & Habits

Question 1

When are attempts to build knowledge effective?

Answer 1

when the “students of change” want to engage in the change process and
are seeking knowledge to help them be successful

Question 2

Which 4 tactics are there in knowledge?

Answer 2

Tactic 1 – Effective training and education programs

Tactic 2 – Job aides

Tactic 3 – One-on-one coaching

Tactic 4 – User groups and forums

Question 3

What is the tactic of effective training and education programs about in knowledge?

Answer 3

In a business setting, training programs should include hands-on activities and demonstrations with less focus on lecture time and reading. Audio programs, web-based seminars and other multi-media programs should all be considered as viable ways to develop knowledge, but be aware of the limitations of these
types of programs compared to hands-on activities.

Question 4

During training programs what gaps has to be identified and solved?

Answer 4

knowledge gaps that exist between the current state and the future state

gap analysis illustrates what is missing between what people do today and
what they will have to do tomorrow.

Question 5

What is the tactic of “job aides” about in knowledge?

Answer 5

Job aides such as checklists and templates enable employees to follow more complex procedures. For system implementations, online help files and scripts serve this same
role.

Question 6

What is the tactic of “one on one coaching” about in knowledge?

Answer 6

individuals learn in different ways and at different paces, one-on-one coaching allows a trainer to provide customized education based on the unique obstacles faced by that individual.

For one-on-one coaching to be a success, supervisors or
designated mentors need to be equipped to serve in this capacity. . In-depth training or previous experience with the change is
needed. You want to ensure that the knowledge transferred by
the coaches is correct and complete.

Question 7

What is the tactic of “User groups and forums” about in knowledge?

Answer 7

User groups and forums are a channel for employees to teach
one another. System implementations often use the concept of
“super-users” to designate a collection of employees who have
mastered the implementation of the tools and can teach others.
These super-users typically have their own forum for sharing,
and organize forums for other employees that are new to the
implementation.

Question 8

Can the development of knowledge cause someone to lose desire
to support the change?

Answer 8

Newly acquired knowledge about the skills and behaviors
needed to support a change could negatively influence an employee’s desire to engage in that change, but this is more likely
to occur when the employees were not well-informed about the
nature of the change and “what’s in it for me” in the first place

Question 9

What is the difference between knowledge and ability?

Answer 9

Knowledge represents the cognitive understanding of specific
information about the change, as well as an understanding, at
an intellectual level, about how to change. Ability is the demonstrated capability to implement the change.

Question 10

Which 4 tactics are there in ability?

Answer 10

Tactic 1 – Day-to-day involvement of supervisors

Tactic 2 – Access to subject matter experts

Tactic 3 – Performance monitoring

Tactic 4 – Hands-on exercises during training

Question 11

Managers who use training programs as their primary change management tool might assume that knowledge automatically leads to ability, which two common pitfalls exists?

Answer 11

training can be ineffective if the trainees were not aware that a change was needed
or have no desire to support the change.

training employees does not always lead to the ability to act in a new way
or to use new processes or tools.

Knowing how to do something
and being able to do something are not necessarily the same
thing

Question 12

What is the tactic of “day to day involvement of supervisors” about in ability?

Answer 12

By coaching employees one-on-one,
a supervisor can readily identify the gaps in ability of their associates. Many employees need hands-on demonstrations or
need someone to role model the change. Employees also need to
know that if they attempt to work in new ways and fail, there will not be adverse consequences for them.

This is where the
supervisor has a tremendous impact with employees in terms of setting the stage for change.

Question 13

in the tactic of “day to day involvement of supervisors in ability”, what must training for supervisors ensure?

Answer 13

How to provide one-on-one coaching of employees who are implementing new processes, tools and job roles supervisors should be able to provide demonstrations
and to role model the desired ability

How to create a safe environment that allows employees to practice and to make mistakes without retribution

How to create feedback channels to the change management team to identify gaps in processes or tools

Question 14

What is the tactic of “Access to subject matter experts” about in ability?

Answer 14

subject-matter experts or employees experienced with the change can provide
direct assistance to other employees. The key to making this work is letting employees know whom to go to for help. Some
companies set up a help desk where employees can call with questions. Others provide the names and contact information
for mentors or subject matter experts.

Question 15

What is difficult to ascertain during the ability phase of the change process

Answer 15

What is difficult to ascertain during this phase of the change process is whether the barrier to change is ability or incomplete knowledge about the change. Many employees do
not learn until the task is immediately in front of them

Question 16

What is the tactic of “Performance monitoring” about in ability?

Answer 16

Measurement and performance assessments also play a key role in developing ability. The organization needs to know if the change is being implemented as designed, and employees need feedback on what they are doing well and what areas need
improvement.

In the absence of measurement and performance assessment, you may never know if employees are developing the right abilities or if the change is taking hold correctly.

Question 17

What is the tactic of “Hands-on exercises during training” about in ability?

Answer 17

effectively designed training programs should include hands-on activities that allow employees to test their new-found knowledge
in different work scenarios. Role plays, simulations and actual
hands-on work with new tools and processes allow employees to
develop abilities in a controlled environment

Question 18

Is it possible that poor performance (low ability) is actually disguised resistance to the change?

Answer 18

Work slowdowns and poor work performance could be disguised forms of resistance to the change.

Question 19

What do you do with employees who cannot perform in the new
environment?

Answer 19

When employees are not performing in the
new environment, the first step is to validate where they are in
the ADKAR model and address the first weak area (identified
as the barrier point).

Question 20

Why is reinforcement good?

Answer 20

With effective reinforcement, you avoid losing momentum from the initial deployment of the change and you can prevent employees from reverting to old ways of doing work

Question 21

Which 5 tactics are there in reinforcement?

Answer 21

Tactic 1 – Celebrations and recognition

Tactic 2 – Rewards

Tactic 3 – Feedback from employees

Tactic 4 – Audits and performance measurement systems

Tactic 5 – Accountability systems

Question 22

How can you celebrate and recognize your employees in reinforcement?

Answer 22

recognize employees is by one-on-one conversations that are informal and
private
- most effective method

public recognition
- acknowledge outstanding performance and for creating a role model for the change
- Care must be taken if selecting
only a few individuals for recognition

group celebrations. A supervisor should seek out activities or events that are fun for the
group and that serve as a celebration for key milestones associated with the change

Question 22

What is the tactic of “Celebrations and recognition” about in reinforcement?

Answer 22

Managers and supervisors play a key role in recognizing employees and celebrating successes. Employees view their direct
supervisor as a preferred sender in the change process, and
these managers are in the best position to recognize employees in a meaningful way

Question 23

Why do habits exist?

Answer 23

Habits exist to save our brains effort.
“Habits, scientists say, emerge because the brain is constantly looking for ways to save effort. Left to its own devices, the brain will try to make almost any routine into a habit, because habits allow our minds to ramp down more often.”

Question 24

What is the golden rule of habit change?

Answer 24

“The Golden Rule of Habit Change: You can’t extinguish a bad habit, you can only change it.”

Question 25

How do you change a habit?

Answer 25

“Rather, to change a habit, you must keep the old cue, and deliver the old reward, but insert a new routine. That’s the rule: If you use the same cue, and provide the same reward, you can shift the routine and change the habit. Almost any behavior can be transformed if the cue and reward stay the same.”

“However, to modify a habit, you must decide to change it. You must consciously accept the hard work of identifying the cues and rewards that drive the habits’ routines, and find alternatives. You must know you have control and be self-conscious enough to use it”

Example)
For instance, we can replace the smoking a cigarette routine with something else when we drink our morning coffee. We might, for example, do a short exercise routine after we drink our coffee that releases endorphins and gives us a high that feels as good as the high from cigarettes.

Question 26

What is the role of the primary sponsor in celebration of a successful change?

Answer 26

The primary sponsor of change
must publicly recognize the achievement of key phases of the change with as much vigor as when he or she initiated the
change

The primary sponsor should also be looking for short-term
successes – those quick wins that occur early in the change
process. If these early successes are celebrated and recognized,
then the momentum for change builds.

Question 27

What are keystone habits?

Answer 27

“…some habits have the power to start a chain reaction, changing other habits as they move through an organization. Some habits, in other words, matter more than others in remaking businesses and lives.”

Keystone habits are habits that have the power to change habits in other areas of our lives. For instance, exercise is a keystone habit. When we start exercising regularly, we often start doing other healthy behaviors naturally.

Question 28

What is the tactic of “rewards” about in reinforcement?

Answer 28

Rewards can be used to reinforce change under certain circumstances. In many cases you can identify performance objectives
that, if met, would result in rewards for employees

If monetary bonuses or incentives were offered early in the
process as a resistance management tool or to build motivation
for the change, then it is critical that managers follow through
with these commitments.

Question 29

Why is agency important in regard to habits?

Answer 29

“When people are asked to do something that takes self-control, if they think they are doing it for personal reasons—if they feel like it’s a choice or something they enjoy because it helps someone else—it’s much less taxing. If they feel like they have no autonomy, if they’re just following orders, their willpower muscles get tired much faster.”

“Simply giving employees a sense of agency—a feeling that they are in control, that they have genuine decision-making authority—can radically increase how much energy and focus they bring to their jobs.”

For activities we feel that we have chosen, it requires less willpower to accomplish the activity. On the other hand, if we have to do something due to something outside of our control, it will deplete our willpower significantly more. This principle is important when we think about how to motivate people to do things in a professional context.

Question 30

What is the tactic “feedback from employees” about in reinforcement?

Answer 30

understand how employees are
reacting to the change

Project teams
commonly fail to gather data from employees. This process of
gathering feedback through interviews, focus groups or surveys
can help the project team understand where the change is taking hold and where the change is struggling.

Question 31

What is Audits and performance measurement systems about in reinforcement?

Answer 31

Compliance audits and performance measurement systems are
essential tools to determine the adoption rate of the change.

Only by completing formal assessments and reviewing
performance data will you know if the change is taking hold.
Armed with this data, the project team can determine the root
cause of failure and implement corrective action.

Question 32

What is Accountability systems about in reinforcement?

Answer 32

Effective changes include building accountability into normal
business operations. If a change is implemented and no associated changes are made to performance evaluation programs or
compensation systems, then the change lacks accountability.