Changing your team’s workplace behaviour

What are some of the things you should consider when changing something major in your business? Here’s some basics around changing your team’s behaviour at work.

• Giving immediate feedback is one of the best ways to change workplace behaviour
• Feedback needs to be given immediately to be most effective

You’re only as good as your team – but if some team members aren’t behaving as you’d expect, how do you change workplace behaviour?

Kathryn MacMillan of CIRCLE Recruitment and HR says, “The number one tip that I could give people wanting to bring about change is to give feedback. But there are a couple of very important aspects of giving feedback.

“Number one, there has to be a direct line of sight – that means giving feedback, both positive and negative, straight away. Not in three weeks’ time.

“There’s a lot of empirical research actually about the fact that people learn behaviours by seeing and observing others around them. So if you reward positive behaviours right at that moment with recognition, or pick up negative behaviours, right at that moment, it has a much deeper learning effect on the employee.

“Remembering to give positive feedback is important – your stars need to hear they’re doing a good job, and it sets an example for others too.

“Finally, don’t give the environment any nutrients to let bad behaviour grow. Set the example, pick up on poor behaviour at every opportunity, and don’t allow any bad behaviour to take hold.

“Slack leadership builds slack teams. Strong leadership builds strong teams.”