3 ingredients you need to create lasting change

In this article, you'll learn to avoid frustration and inefficiency by diagnosing the root causes of behaviour challenges within your team and addressing them with practical solutions.

You’ll learn:

• The three essential elements of the COM-B model (Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation) and how they drive behaviour change.

• How to troubleshoot behaviour challenges by identifying what’s missing.

• Practical leadership strategies for ensuring lasting behaviour change within your team.

Overcome change resistance with COM-B 

As a leader, you know that changing behaviour within your team can be challenging. Whether you're trying to implement a new process, encourage new habits, or align your team’s behaviour with a strategic goal, it often feels like something is blocking progress.

Sometimes your team seems to have the skills, but they still aren’t taking the necessary actions. Other times, they seem motivated, but somehow the behaviour doesn’t stick. So, what’s missing?

This is where the COM-B model comes in. Developed by behavioural scientists, COM-B stands for Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation—three elements that must be in place for behaviour change to occur. The model provides a framework for diagnosing the root cause of a behaviour problem and offering specific solutions to address it.

By understanding and applying COM-B, you can lead your team through meaningful and sustainable behaviour change, whether it’s adopting a new process, improving communication, or driving performance.

The COM-B Model: A Framework for behaviour Change

The COM-B model breaks down behaviour change into three essential elements:

1. Capability

This refers to whether your team has the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to perform the desired behaviour. Capability can be physical (having the manual dexterity or strength to do something) or psychological (having the mental skills or knowledge to perform the task).

Example: Let’s say you’re trying to get your team to adopt a new project management software. If the team lacks the technical know-how or familiarity with the software, they may avoid using it or feel frustrated when trying to incorporate it into their workflow.

Your Leadership Role:

• Assess whether the issue is a skill gap or a knowledge gap. If the team simply doesn't have the capability, you'll need to focus on training and development.

• Provide hands-on support or bring in experts who can teach the team how to effectively use the tools or systems required for the new behaviour.

2. Opportunity

Opportunity refers to whether the external environment allows for the behaviour to take place. This can include physical opportunities (having the resources, tools, or time to perform the behaviour) or social opportunities (peer support, leadership backing, or cultural norms that encourage the behaviour).

Example: Perhaps your team has the skills to use the new project management software, but they aren’t given enough time during the workweek to fully incorporate it into their routine. Or maybe the broader team culture doesn’t prioritize using the software, so the motivation to adopt it diminishes over time.

Your Leadership Role:

• Ensure the team has the resources and time to perform the new behaviour. This might mean allocating additional time during the workday to focus on learning or removing other tasks that may be distracting.

• Create a supportive social environment by setting an example yourself and encouraging peer-to-peer coaching. If team members see that their peers and leaders are fully on board, they are more likely to follow suit.

3. Motivation

Motivation is the internal drive that determines whether someone wants to perform a behaviour. This can be intrinsic motivation (feeling personally rewarded or satisfied by the behaviour) or extrinsic motivation (incentives, rewards, or external pressures).

Example: Your team might have the capability and opportunity to use the new project management software, but they don’t see the value in doing so. Maybe the team is resistant because they don’t believe the software will improve their workflow or they feel like the old system is good enough.

Your Leadership Role:

• Help the team understand the “why” behind the behaviour change. Clearly communicate how the new behaviour aligns with broader team goals and what benefits it will bring, both to them and the organization.

• Provide feedback and rewards that reinforce the behaviour. This can be as simple as recognizing team members who adopt the behaviour quickly or highlighting small wins that demonstrate the new behaviour's positive impact.

A Practical Example: Driving Team Adoption of a New Process

Let’s use a practical example to illustrate how to apply COM-B. Imagine you’re leading a team that needs to adopt a new collaborative project management process. Despite your efforts, the team isn’t fully embracing it.

Step 1: Diagnose

• Capability: You realize that some team members aren’t fully comfortable with the process because they’re unfamiliar with certain aspects of the software. A training gap.

• Opportunity: You also notice that your team’s workload is heavy, leaving them little time to experiment with the new process. There’s an environmental issue.

• Motivation: Lastly, some team members are skeptical that this new process will actually save them time. Motivation is low.

Step 2: Address

• Capability: Arrange for additional training sessions and assign mentors to help less experienced team members.

• Opportunity: Temporarily lighten the workload so the team has dedicated time to learn and practice using the new process.

• Motivation: Reframe the new process as a way to streamline work and reduce stress over the long term. Highlight examples of how the process has already helped improve efficiency.

Step 3: Measure

• After implementing these changes, track whether the team is using the new process more consistently. Regular check-ins will help you gauge progress and identify any lingering challenges.

How you can start implementing these ideas

Here are some key pieces of advice and reflective questions to guide your behaviour change efforts:

Capability:

• Advice: Never assume that your team already has the necessary skills. Take the time to assess their capability, and provide training where needed.

• Thought Starter: Do my team members have the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to adopt this new behaviour?

Opportunity:

• Advice: Create an environment that allows the new behaviour to flourish. If the team lacks time, resources, or support, even the most motivated employees will struggle.

• Thought Starter: What environmental factors are getting in the way of the desired behaviour? Are there ways to remove these barriers?

Motivation:

• Advice: Help your team understand why the behaviour change is important and how it will benefit them. Motivation is often the key to unlocking lasting change.

• Thought Starter: How can I make this behaviour change more meaningful to my team? What incentives or feedback can I provide?