Behaviour Change Strategy: Compel
Want to make sure harder actions are taken right away?
Do you often see important tasks ignored or delayed? Need a straightforward way to make sure actions happen when they should? The Compel strategy is all about creating a sense of urgency that drives people to act immediately. It’s perfect for when you need to prevent procrastination and ensure tasks are not just started but completed on time.
Here’s how you can start:
1
Effectively signal people to act
Help everyone know they should start and support people along the way.
2
Set up support systems for quick actions
Ensure there’s always help available so that questions or problems don’t slow things down.
3
Give feedback so people know it’s working
Make sure everyone knows how they are doing in real time, so they can adjust their pace if needed.
4
Make the environment ready for fast action
Organise physical and virtual spaces to support quick responses and easy access to necessary tools.
How Compel
changes behaviour
Losses make you think twice: Compel emphasises the potential costs or consequences of an action, making people aware of the negative outcomes. By highlighting these risks, we are motivated to change our behaviour to avoid them.
Make smarter choices: By anticipating higher costs or consequences, individuals can re-evaluate their actions and choose alternative behaviours to minimise negative outcomes. Making smart choices can help individuals avoid unnecessary risks and protect themselves from potential harm.
Learn from your mistakes: Consistently experiencing negative consequences can create a stronger aversion to these outcomes, leading to long-lasting behaviour change. By learning from past mistakes, we can make better choices and avoid negative consequences in the future.
When using Compel, avoid…
Overemphasis on Negative Consequence
While the strategy can be effective in motivating behaviour change by emphasising negative outcomes, too much focus on the negative can lead to fear and anxiety. This may cause people to disengage or avoid the behaviour change process altogether. So, be mindful of striking a balance between emphasising negative consequences and providing positive support.
Insufficient Support
Relying solely on Compel without providing the necessary support, resources, or information can leave individuals feeling overwhelmed and less likely to adopt the desired behaviour. To ensure success, it's essential to provide adequate support and information to help individuals make sustainable changes.
Ineffective Consequences
If the consequences presented are perceived as insignificant or unlikely, individuals may not feel compelled to change their behaviour. It's important to consider the relevance and significance of the consequences presented to ensure they motivate individuals to take action.