4 Key Principles for Developing a Reinforcement Plan

by Don Harrison on Wed, May 15, 2019 @ 01:10 PM

Have you recently undergone a major, organizational change? Maybe it was a new technology, a new innovation or a continuous improvement initiative, or perhaps it was a shared services implementation. No matter the type of change, chances are a lot of time and money were put into the project. But, after the “go-live” date has passed, I challenge you to look around your organization. Are employees actually using the new processes? Or are they busy creating work arounds? I’m guessing more of the latter, yes? 

What Gets in the Way of User Adoption?

by Paula Alsher on Thu, Nov 15, 2018 @ 11:13 AM

One of the biggest frustrations Change Agents and Project Teams confront is lack of adoption of the change by the Targets. There is no doubt that the “status quo” is a powerful force, even when a change is positive or entirely rational. Very often, the reason why the change isn’t embraced is because the appropriate reinforcements are not in place. For some reason, we expect people to behave differently, but we reinforce them for staying the same! 

The Value of a Reinforcement Strategy in an Organizational Change

by Paula Alsher on Thu, Mar 08, 2018 @ 10:42 AM

Here’s a pop quiz! During an organizational change, is it better to spend more time on a Communication Plan or on your Reinforcement Strategy? Need a minute to think about it? Let’s put it a different way… 

How to Lead a Team Through Change:   Hint - You Need to Do More Than Just Walk the Talk

by Paula Alsher on Thu, Jan 18, 2018 @ 01:20 PM

Remember the old saying, “If you’re going to talk the talk, you have to walk the walk?” Seems like good management advice for sure.  But when it comes to leading change, there’s a third action required, and contrary to popular belief… it’s even more important than walking the talk!

Your Reinforcement Strategy:  A Powerful Change Management Tool for Getting Better, Faster Project Results

by Paula Alsher on Thu, Mar 16, 2017 @ 01:50 PM

You may be overlooking one of your project’s most powerful weapons for getting people to change their behavior. It’s Reinforcement of desired new behaviors.  In fact, we would go as far as to say that Reinforcement is the power lever for getting sustained adoption for your change.  

A Practical Guide to Developing Meaningful Reinforcements for Your Organization

by Paula Alsher on Thu, Apr 07, 2016 @ 11:00 AM

Last week, our blog focused on the fact that reinforcement is the golden key to implementation success.  We explained that if you want people to change their behavior; you have to alter their reinforcements.  It’s a pretty simple concept really and one we don’t think surprised many of you.  But now we ask, how exactly do you go about doing that?  Why does one reinforcement tactic work for one person, but not another? 

Reinforcement is the Golden Key to Implementation Success

by Paula Alsher on Thu, Mar 31, 2016 @ 01:34 PM

There is a fundamental principle of human behavior that states, “People follow the reinforcement.” In other words, if you want people to change what they are doing, you have to alter the reinforcements. That's why Don Harrison, President and founder of IMA, tells our clients that "every time you see a behavior, there either is or was a reward for it." No behavior occurs in isolation of reinforcement. 

Managing Change in the Workplace: 5 Essential Questions to Ask

by Paula Alsher on Fri, May 08, 2015 @ 09:06 AM

Most organizational change fails to deliver the intended value realization. Don’t believe us? Just take a look at a few of these statistics: 

 

Transformational Change: Are You Reinforcing the Status Quo?

by Paula Alsher on Tue, Nov 19, 2013 @ 10:21 AM

Our change management consulting on transformational change-- whether it is IT transformation, HR transformation, or healthcare transformation--consistently points to one major change management flaw: Organizations reinforce the status quo rather than transformational change.  

Change Agents: What's a Reinforcement Plan for Transformation?

by Paula Alsher on Tue, Sep 24, 2013 @ 04:00 PM

"Reinforcement" and "Reinforcement Plans" are terms that are thrown around a lot in change management. Sure, we know that reinforcement is important, but what does a good reinforcement plan really look like?