Behaviour Change Strategy: Skills-build
Want to make sure people feel ready and confident to act?
Do you notice people hesitating to take action because they're not confident in their abilities? Are you looking for a way to ensure that everyone feels ready and able to step up when opportunities or challenges arise?
Skills-building is about giving people the training, skills and confidence they need to change their behaviour and take on whatever comes their way.
Here’s how you can start:
1
Show how to do it right
Demonstrate the correct ways to handle tasks, setting a clear example for everyone.
2
Encourage safe practice
Allow space for everyone to practice new skills without the pressure of immediate perfection.
3
Provide clear directions
Clarify what needs to be done and how to tackle each new task effectively.
4
Highlight achievements and growth
Recognise and applaud the progress and successes of each individual.
5
Guide with constructive feedback
Offer advice and insights that help everyone enhance their skills and performance.
How Skills-Build
changes behaviour
Learn by example: Training isn't just demonstrations. It's also about observing and imitating others. Through this process of social learning, we acquire new behaviours and adapt existing ones.
Practice makes perfect: Effective training programs focus on teaching individuals specific skills and techniques necessary for behaviour change. By practising these new skills, individuals become more capable of adopting and maintaining target behaviours.
Believe in yourself: Through training, we develop a sense of self-efficacy or belief in our ability to perform a specific behaviour. This increased confidence motivates us to engage in the desired behaviours more consistently and persistently.
Practice makes permanent: Skills-building programs can help individuals develop new habits by repeatedly practising target behaviours in a structured and supportive environment. Over time, these behaviours become ingrained and automatic, making it easier for individuals to maintain them in their daily lives.
When using Skills-Build, avoid…
Inadequate Reinforcement
Without ongoing reinforcement, new behaviours may not be sustained in the long term. Make sure that training includes regular follow-ups, support, and reinforcement to maintain the desired behaviours.
Insufficient Practice Opportunities
Behaviour change requires repeated practice to build proficiency and confidence. Providing too few practice opportunities during skills-building activities can hinder the development of new behaviours and limit their successful integration into daily routines.
Lack of Realistic Context
Skills-building should be conducted in environments that closely resemble the real-world context where the new behaviours will be applied. Training in artificial or overly controlled settings may not prepare people for the challenges they will face when implementing new behaviours in their everyday lives.