Module 5 - Behaviour change ideation: Strategies to change people’s behaviour
Behaviour Change Strategy Matrix

Step 5: Choose appropriate strategies

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Selecting the right strategies is a crucial step in the sustain design process. It involves aligning your project's unique characteristics with the most effective strategies outlined on the Behaviour Change Strategy Matrix.

30 minutes

Challenge focus

Why?

This step is crucial because the success of your behavioural change initiative largely depends on choosing strategies that are not only theoretically sound but also practical and aligned with the specific needs of your audience. The goal is to find the best fit between your project's characteristics and the strategies recommended for each quadrant.

WHAT

Your task is to identify the strategies that best suit the quadrant your project falls into, considering the complexity of the behaviour and the readiness of your target audience.

HOW

Step 1: Review Quadrant-Specific Strategies

Refer to the strategies associated with your identified quadrant:

  • Ready for Big Steps [High Complexity, High Readiness]:
    Focus on ‘Educate’ to provide knowledge, ‘Demonstrate’ the new behaviour, and ‘Skills-Build’ to enhance capabilities.

  • Resistant to Big Steps [High Complexity, Low Readiness]:
    Use ‘Persuade’ to change perceptions, ‘Alert’ to raise awareness, and ‘Compel’ to highlight negative consequences.

  • Resistant to Small Steps [Low Complexity, Low Readiness]:
    Consider ‘Tempt’ with rewards, ‘Facilitate’ to ease adoption, and ‘Restructure’ the environment.

  • Ready for Small Steps [Low Complexity, High Readiness]: Apply ‘Relate’ to make it personally relevant, ‘Facilitate’ to simplify the process, and ‘Skills-Build’ for empowerment.

Step 2: Assess Strategy Fit

Assess which strategies are most relevant to your challenge and situation. Consider how each strategy aligns with your understanding of the behaviour, situation and the traits.

Step 3: Brainstorm

Use the strategy as a starting point in your brainstorming sessions.

You can use your toolbox in brainstorming, either:

  1. Creative Brainstorming. Use your strategy as a jump start into creative discussions and ideation.

  2. Grab Change Tactics. Pull out the Change Tactics that are under your selected strategy. Use the patterns as a starting point for behaviour anchored ideation.

  3. Build Out Behaviour Change Pathways. Keep your strategy in mind when you explore and start to build pathways to behaviour change using the other tools in the change toolkit.

Facilitator tips

  1. Deep Understanding of Each Quadrant's Strategies: Familiarise yourself thoroughly with the strategies recommended for each quadrant. Use the earlier lessons to dig deeper.

  2. Match Strategies to Project Specifics: Carefully consider how each strategy aligns with the specific aspects of your project. This includes understanding the nuances of the behaviour you're trying to change and the particular characteristics and needs of your target audience.

  3. Consider Practicality and Feasibility: Assess the practical aspects of implementing each strategy. Consider factors like resources available, time constraints, and the potential for impact. Choose strategies that are not only theoretically sound but also practically feasible.

Completing this step, you will have identified a set of strategies that are well-aligned with both the quadrant of your project and its specific needs. These strategies, tailored to the unique challenges and readiness levels of your audience, will enhance the potential for successful behaviour change.