Influencing Employee Behaviour Using the ABC Approach

The Antecedent, Behaviour, Consequence (ABC) approach is one of the foundation tools a leader needs to use to influence behavior. Once you have learned the technique you will find that you use it everywhere – work, home, community. It is well recognized and accepted technique for influencing behavior.

The Antecedents (before) are all the triggers before the behavior – it is how leaders set their employees up to be successful. It includes;

• How the task is set up

• The setting of realistic standards and goals set

• Quality of planning

• Clarity of direction

• Effectiveness of communication, verbal and nonverbal (tone of voice, body language)

• Work conditions

• The knowledge, experiences, attitudes, and behaviors the employee brings to the job.

Behavior is what the employee does during the job. It includes:

• Following the agreed plan

• How do they interact with others

• What do you do as a leader to ensure performance and behavior are acceptable during the job

Consequences (outcomes) are what you do after the employee/s have completed the job. It is the feedback that reinforces acceptable outcomes and corrects unacceptable outcomes. Today’s consequences are tomorrow’s antecedents.

The performance and behavior by individuals in your team, and your team more broadly, is your performance. Your effectiveness as a leader is judged by your team and its individual member’s outcomes. If you choose not to address sub-standard employee performance (including behavior) then you are accepting that standard. Silence is acceptance. You must use every technique you can to optimize individual and team outcomes. This helps you and your team members.

In this course, you will learn the fundamentals of how to apply the ABC technique. However, as with any new technique you learn, it takes practice for it to become your habit – the way you do things.

Trevor Strother is an international consultant and trainer and has been teaching this technique in his courses for 20 years. He has seen leaders apply ABC successfully across the world. This course is developed from what he has learned from observing those leaders put this technique into practice and so you benefit from that targeted approach.

Broadly, the course includes:

• Reflection on why personnel sometimes don’t do what we want them to do

• How behavior is developed, including the role of beliefs and values

• ABC explained

• Consequences explained in detail

• How to apply the ABC technique, including a practical exercise