• Why behaviours and mindsets?

• Before we go too much further it’s appropriate to review why we talk about changing behaviours and mindsets
in the same sentence.

• Quite simply, successful change arises from an interdependence of behaviour and mindset.

• It is possible to look to change behaviours alone, but unless an individual understands the reasoning behind the
behavioural change and assimilates it into their mindset, then the chances of a lapse are high.

• Conversely, if your focus is simply on changing mindsets then your people may not have the tools to engage with
the behavioural changes that the new mindset requires.

• This is where the 4Es principles of human change come into their own, delivering a cyclical change model that
enables behaviours and mindsets to feed off each other.

• This also enables people to engage with change and also to build the skills and outlooks required to deliver it.

Before, any transformation is enacted, the employees should be convinced that the change is for the employee’s
growth and benefits as well as to meet the competitive forces. In short, management may educate, empower,
engage and enable (4es) (figure 1) the employees in the change management process. Therefore, behavioural
change is needed to achieve the desired goals of any change management

The 4Es principles of human change

• Educate: provide people with the understanding and rationale behind proposed changes. This is where you take
your people on the change journey, helping them to set aside the fight or flight response to change and to build
a positive vision of the future. Remember, educating is not training or instructing. Rather, it is about helping the
other person to learn and understand.

Educate: The rationale behind the change has to be convincingly explained to the affected employees. It may be
argued that transparent communication and effective change management leads to greater profits. The most
difficult part of change is overcoming people’s natural resistance to switching things up. Communication can
mean the difference between success and failure. Educating employees means helping them to learn and
understand why change is necessary and how it may benefit to them and the organization.

• Engage: engagement is a consistent two-way dialogue that evolves over time, helping individuals to
intellectually and emotionally buy into change and be ready to support it in a positive way. Successful
engagement has to speak to both the logical (the who, what, why) as well as the emotional (job satisfaction,
resonating with personal values) sides of the brain. 

Engage: Maintain two-way dialogue to get support from the employees. It also means to talk to both logical and
emotional sides of brain. The organization needs to find ways to get real feedback directly from the teams and
employees so that constantly improve the process. A great way to do this is through regular internal feedback by
using opinion/suggestion surveys. That way, employees can know that management is taking into consideration
theirs views, ideas and voices which will improve employee’s engagement in the process. Furthermore, it needs to
be understood that the shift in mind-set should ensure smart, hard-working, and well intentioned employees
should continue to behave and work as before. The simple reason is that organizations may not change, it’s the
employee change. Additionally, employees who are involved in the change management from the very beginning, stay
engaged with the organization even after the change management. Therefore, participation of employees may also be
considered important in order to shift their mind-sets and remove uncertainty of job insecurity.

• Empower: engagement enthusiasms will quickly wither way unless you empower your people to take ownership
and responsibility for delivering change. You can’t meaningfully engage people inside a command and control
regime so in order to deliver change you have to be prepared to restructure systems and processes. This comes
back to the Gallup quote above and the need for leaders and managers to create the conditions for
empowerment through effective delegation, through trust, and through setting appropriate boundaries and
expectations.

Empower: Allow employees to take ownership and responsibility for delivering change. Consider them partners in
the change management process. This may develop positive mind-sets with them and will see that the change is
effectively implemented.
 
 • Enable people to act - equip them with skills and structures they need and remove barriers to action. When
people are supported within the right environment, they can build the confidence to interact and create
solutions. It is this interaction that is crucial in delivering lasting change.

Enable: Equip employees with skills and structures to act and build their confidence to provide solutions. It also means
creating conducive environment to gain support. Therefore, management needs to remove barriers to action.

Overcoming Resistance to Change

Education and communication- This tactic assumes that the source of resistance lies in misinformation or poor
communication.
Best used: Lack of information, or inaccurate information

Participation and involvement-Prior to making a change, those opposed can be brought into the decision process.
Best used: Where initiators lack information, and others have power to resist

Facilitation and support-The provision of various efforts to facilitate adjustment.

Best used: Where people resist because of adjustment problems

Negotiation and agreement- Exchange something of value for a lessening of resistance.

Best used: Where one group will lose, and has considerable power to resist

Manipulation and cooperation-Twisting and distorting facts to make them appear more attractive.
Best used: Where other tactics won’t work or are too expensive

Explicit and implicit coercion- The application of direct threats or force upon resisters.
Best used: Speed is essential, and initiators have power