Getting from verbal to written to public commitments
A while back I promised to tell you how to ramp up the power of commitments in a very simple manner. Here we go! First, remember that verbal commitments are fine, but written commitments are stronger, and public commitments are much more powerful yet. So, imagine yourself speaking to someone in their yard, promoting a […]
Sticky commitments
I often think of commitments as being sticky. It is hard to shake them off. When someone makes a commitment to do something, there is always this nagging feeling that they should do it, and they have a difficult time shaking it off. Commitments have different levels of stickiness. Verbal commitments are sticky like jam. […]
Securing commitment – it’s so easy!
Perhaps the most powerful personal tool for fostering a new behaviour in a person is securing a commitment from them. People want to be seen to act consistently with what they say – walk the talk. People who do not act consistently with what they say they will do are frowned upon, so there is […]
Planning for Behaviour
We are frequently hired to develop CBSM strategies to improve participation in existing programs. The client wants those who are not participating to begin, or wants to get people who are using the program to participate properly (for instance, to reduce contamination in the recycling stream). Unfortunately, we often find that the barriers to participation […]
Biggest Avoidable Mistake
The most frequent mistake made by new CBSM strategy designers is assuming that they know everything about their target audiences. They believe that they already know the motivators, barriers, and attitudes of their target audience. They then design a strategy based on their own beliefs rather than those of the people they are trying to […]