Trusted Leaders Focus on Behaviours, Not Activities

It’s encouraging to see that despite economic uncertainties, many organizations are still investing in critical programs and initiatives, such as leadership development, employee wellness, mental health programs, and workplace culture efforts.

It is clear they understand that programs and initiatives like these can contribute to healthier employees, stronger engagement, reduced turnover, lower disability costs, and increased productivity.

However, in isolation they won’t necessarily achieve the outcomes you’re looking for.

Many leaders struggle to answer one critical question: Are these investments creating value?

Too often success is measured by outputs or actions, such as the number of people who attend special events or the number of surveys completed rather than the outcomes that tell the true story of impact.

Activities are important catalysts for change that create opportunities. But the real test of whether an investment is creating value is what happens next, do people behave differently? Do workplace conditions improve? And can those changes be connected to measurable results?

Activities alone don’t create sustainable results

If you focus on isolated initiatives that aren’t connected to behavioural goals, you may provide short-term value, but you’re not likely to deliver sustainable organizational impact.

For example, if your organization delivers respectful workplace training, the most important question shouldn’t be, "Did employees complete the course?" It should be, "Have behaviours improved as a result of the course, and if so, how?" Are people:

• Addressing concerns sooner?

• Resolving conflict earlier?
• Communicating more respectfully?
• Following through on commitments more consistently?

This shift from asking whether an activity happened to asking whether behaviour changed is fundamental to building a stronger business case for PHS.

Understanding the PHS Value Chain

Once you start measuring what changed rather than simply what was delivered, the bigger picture emerges and you begin to understand how a workplace program or initiative ultimately translates into business value.

Investment → workplace conditions → key performance behaviours → key performance indicators → business outcomes.

• Programs influence workplace conditions.

• Workplace conditions influence behaviour.

• Behaviour influences performance.

• Performance influences business outcomes.

This is why two organizations can invest the same amount of money and achieve dramatically different results. The organization that actively manages behavior is creating a clearer, more measurable pathway to value.

Key performance behaviours influence results

Most executives are familiar with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), such as safety performance, turnover, absenteeism, engagement, productivity, customer satisfaction and disability costs. However, these are lagging indicators that capture what has already happened. On the other hand, Key Performance Behaviours (KPBs), which can be observed, coached, reinforced, and measured,  influence results. 

For example, a company that wants to reduce turnover (KPI), might identify key performance behaviours, such as those below as being critical to success.

• Holding regular one-on-one conversations

• Following through on commitments

• Addressing concerns early

• Providing role clarity

• Recognizing contributions

• Supporting development and growth

These are behaviours leaders can see, discuss, measure, and improve. The same logic applies to every organizational goal. If you want to achieve particular outcomes, you must first identify the behaviours that are most likely to produce them and then create conditions for those behaviours to be adopted and continuously improved.

This is where the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle becomes essential.

PDCA provides a structured way to identify what needs to change, put supports in place, measure what happens and adjust accordingly.

• Plan: Identify the desired business outcome and required behaviours.

• Do: Implement supports, tools, training, and leadership practices.

• Check: Measure behavior adoption and KPI movement.

• Act: Adjust and improve based on results.

The strongest organizations never stop this cycle because workforce needs, risks, and business realities continually evolve.

Ultimately, the behavioural business case for PHS is about moving beyond activity for activity's sake. Trusted leaders understand that culture is not built through announcements, intentions, standalone activities or policies alone. It is the result of workplace behaviours repeated over time until they become habits, those habits influence performance, and performance creates measurable business outcomes.

That is how PHS moves from a series of organizational initiatives to become a business driver.

Get to know the authors – Dr.  Bill Howatt