Email Beehive info@beecld.co.ukinfo@beecld.co.uk

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Beehive Coaching and Leadership Development Ltd

Behaviour change – reward and punishment

1) Positively recognising and rewarding desired behaviours ALWAYS results in the desired behaviour increasing – it doesn’t have to be recognised every time it happens, it’s enough to simply to ‘catch people doing it right’ and let them know when you do

2) Punishment of undesired behaviours can lead to a reduction but ONLY if the punishment occurs EACH TIME the undesired behaviour occurs. This poses a problem – managers are not around every second of every working day for all their staff. If it doesn’t happen each time one of two things will happen – people will become resentful if they are punished when other people are not, or the behaviour will go underground, and the challenge will become not being caught rather than changing the behaviour.

The best way to change behaviours, therefore, is to recognise and reward the ones you want more of.

Organisational Behaviour Change

Beehive is now a proud partner of the WCBC.

Partnership with the Wales Centre for Behaviour Change (WCBC)

Wales Centre for Behaviour Change (WCBC)

WCBC is part of Bangor University’s Psychology Department and is a new strategic development to integrate research and business opportunities in a variety of sectors that require behaviour-based safety and productivity. Beehive is working in partnership with WCBC and corporate clients in the nuclear sector on a number of projects related to safety, in particular the impact of a coaching management style on safety culture. For more details about the WCBC visit www.behaviourchange.bangor.ac.uk

Board behaviour change

Beehive aims to improve board effectiveness by exploring in ‘the missing what’ of leadership – what leaders and board members do on a minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour basis that leads to board effectiveness. In our experience the biggest changes are made in board effectiveness by changing the ‘small’ behaviours such as patterns of communication, trust and interaction – summed up neatly in the phrase ‘Change the Conversation, Change the Culture!’

The most important way of getting things done in any organisation are through relationships – this principle is applicable at every level and to every function. Sometimes this is not acknowledged at board level as the strategic work of the board can be seen to transcend it – instead it relies on it. ICSA research has outlined the need to ‘exercise compelling and relentless leadership’ at board level and to lead by example.

The Beehive approach to board development

The developmental needs of board members are very different in some ways to those lower down the organisation. The decision makers with most influence in an organisation are generally the most isolated. They bear the weight of strategic responsibilities which they have to juggle with the current pressures of corporate governance, etc. In the current dynamic environment the task of the board becomes more challenging as people look to them to provide the impetus and direction needed to effect change, and also for someone to blame when things go wrong. This requires the provision of strong leadership within the stringent regulatory frameworks demanded, which may seem an almost impossible task. If the board is not functioning at optimum levels of performance, it is impossible that the rest of the organisation will. However, despite this, the board of an organisation often continues without any support or development itself.

Board Review

The starting point for the behaviour change process is the board review, which provides board members with an opportunity to identify what behavioural habits have been developing, and what changes are needed at both an individual and group level to help them perform most effectively and enjoyably.

We provide a full review that approaches the functioning of the board from an individual and group perspective. We work to identify individual development needs as well as addressing the dynamics of group which may be unhelpful or restrictive. We then work to find the best ways of addressing these needs for the individual organisation.

Not all behaviour change is the same….

At Beehive we work to the principle (first explored by Gregory Bateson) that there are two different types of behaviour change:

FIRST ORDER CHANGE

  • More/less of what we already do
  • Uses the existing structure
  • Reversible
  • Non-transformational
  • No new learning takes place
  • Restores the old balance   
  • Old order remains intact

SECOND ORDER CHANGE

  • Significantly different to 'the way we do things round here'
  • New structure is required
  • Irreversible - there's no going back
  • Requires a change in attitudes, values, beliefs resulting in discomfort
  • Transformational
  • Leads to a change in relationships and a new order is established

Why change initiatives can fail:

- Incomplete or poor diagnosis - first or second order change?

- Lack of systemic planning - how will it affect rest of organisation?

- No follow up

At Beehive the first thing we do is spend time with our clients, to identify the type of change required. That enables us to advise on the best approaches so we can get the best results for our clients.

The six stages of change are:

1.  Unaware: people at this stage do not intend to change behaviours in the foreseeable future.  They aren't aware that their behaviour is a problem.  The aim at this stage is to raise awareness.

2. Aware: the stage at which people are now aware of their behaviour and the effects of it.

3. Planning Change: the stage at which people intend to take action in the immediate future.  This is where action planning is important.

4. Behaviour Change: this is the stage in which people are actually making specific changes.  

5. Consolidation: at this stage people have made the changes, seen the results, and are working hard to maintain them.  However, there is still the danger of relapsing back into old behaviours.

6. Completion: the stage in which the new behaviour has become an automatic habit - a new default setting.  It is now just the way the person does things, and isn't a behaviour change any more.

The Beehive Behaviour Change Model (BBCM)

The Beehive Behaviour Change model (BBCM) is an adaptation of the Transtheoretical Change Model which integrates different behaviours change models form a variety of theories of counselling and behaviour change. We've adapted it to make it more appropriate to making second order changes in organisations.

Behaviour Change Graphic

The Stages of Change

Often behaviour change is seen as being an event; however, studies of change have found that people move through a series of stages when changing behaviour. Certain principles and processes work best at each stage to reduce resistance, facilitate progress, and prevent relapse.

Using the BBCM as a behaviour change model can result in increased participation in the change process.

Behaviour Change Challenge

Try our ‘Beehive Behaviour Change Challenge’. Just think of a behaviour you want to change, download the following worksheet and follow the instructions, and make the commitment. 

Let us know about your successes by emailing info@beecld.co.uktweeting, or commenting on our facebook page – see details above. It’s all about breaking the habit.

pdf icon Behaviour Change Challenge

Board Effectiveness Challenge

Try this simple  What? So what? Now what? model of organisational learning using our Beehive Board Effectiveness Questionnaire. Download and complete the questionnaire (What?), reflect on your answers (So what?) and then contact us for your free 60 min consultation (Now what?)!

pdf icon Board Effectiveness Questionnaire

Behaviour change – reward and punishment

1) Positively recognising and rewarding desired behaviours ALWAYS results in the desired behaviour increasing – it doesn’t have to be recognised every time it happens, it’s enough to simply to ‘catch people doing it right’ and let them know when you do

2) Punishment of undesired behaviours can lead to a reduction but ONLY if the punishment occurs EACH TIME the undesired behaviour occurs. This poses a problem – managers are not around every second of every working day for all their staff. If it doesn’t happen each time one of two things will happen – people will become resentful if they are punished when other people are not, or the behaviour will go underground, and the challenge will become not being caught rather than changing the behaviour.

The best way to change behaviours, therefore, is to recognise and reward the ones you want more of.


Interdependency is the safety culture associated with the fewest accidents and injuries and is therefore the safest way of working - (ref research Du Pont Bradley Curve).Trust is the key interpersonal component of Interdependency - (ref Beehive/Bangor University research).

Trust is an attitude. To increase trust and therefore interdependency it is necessary to demonstrate you are worthy of trust by displaying trustworthy behaviours - (ref Beehive/Bangor research &Trustworthiness Elements)

If you demonstrate trustworthiness through the five principles, others are invited to reciprocate and therefore trust and interdependency builds. The five Principles are:

  1. Meaning
  2. Interest in others
  3. Openness
  4. Integrity
  5. Intentionality

The D2iP b.SAFE Safety Leadership Programme is designed to introduce the five principles of trustworthy behaviour and trustworthy leadership within the organisation.


Organisational Behaviour Change

We have a proven track record in changing behaviours in organisations.
For more information about how we can help change behaviours in your organisation…..

Coaching & Mentoring

We’re passionate about coaching and mentoring.
For more information about our accredited programmes, coaching supervision and coaching services……

Team Development

No international sports team would be expected to perform without practice yet this is often expected of teams in organisations.
For more information about how we can help you develop your teams….

b.SAFE Behavioural Safety

There is growing recognition of the contribution to safety culture of non-technical training.
For more information about relational safety…..

Management & Leadership

Good management is something that you can DO well; leadership is more about who you ARE.
For more information about our development approaches …….

Beehive Cymraeg

Fel rhan o’n polisi iaith Gymraeg, rydym wedi ymrwymo i gyflwyno mwy o’n gwasanaethau yn Gymraeg trwy ein partneriaid cyswllt dibynadwy.