The Change Overload Problem
There's a troubling gap emerging in today's workplaces: HR Dive conveys that more than 50% of business leaders expect to implement three or more changes in the next two years, yet employees say they can absorb only one to two major changes annually.
Everyone has different thresholds for change, and when pushed to their limit, change overwhelm can hit, paralyzing action, productivity, and creativity. In these moments, employees need something instinctive and reassuring to navigate the uncertainty—they need social support—the knowledge that peers and leaders will back them as they adopt new behaviors and try new things.
Social support at work encompasses the perceived expectations, standards, and examples set by co-workers, managers, and leaders that signal which behaviors are accepted, encouraged, or discouraged within the organization.
Utilizing Social Support as a Driver of New Behaviors
Organizations set on implementing change and improving results often overlook the power of social support and thus fail to leverage it to drive motivation and action.
But employees will always look at a new behavior through the lens of:
Are others doing this? Is my manager modeling this? What will people think of me if I do this?
Without social support, new behaviors will face obstacles.
Utilizing Social Support as a Driver of New Behaviors
Organizations set on implementing change and improving results often overlook the power of social support and thus fail to leverage it to drive motivation and action.
But employees will always look at a new behavior through the lens of:
- Are others doing this?
- Is my manager modeling this?
- What will people think of me if I do this?
Without social support, new behaviors will face obstacles.
What Organizations Can Do to Build Social Support
- Equip managers to walk the talk and amplify good behaviors. Managers should model what they're asking of others. When they see desired behaviors in action, they should recognize and reward them. To enable this, help managers overcome their own barriers—including addressing any misalignment with organizational leaders, since managers naturally take their cues from the executive leadership team.
- Spot and support informal leaders. Early adopters of desired workplace behavior should be seen as champions for the stated initiative. Managers need to recognize these employees, encourage them to keep the behaviors going, and seek their input about what can be done to get others on board.
- Clarify the "why" and set clear expectations about new behaviors. To successfully shift behaviors, leaders must help employees understand why the change matters to organizational goals—not just announce it. Pairing expectations with purpose creates a clear standard for desired behaviors while helping employees embrace and adopt the change.
Pairing expectations with purpose creates a clear standard for desired behaviors while helping employees embrace and adopt the change.
- Make regular team meetings and one-to-ones the norm. When undertaking anything new, an employee needs to feel like people have their back. Consistent scheduled time together, whether in-person or online, builds the positive relationships that help establish trust. Regular one-to-one meetings between managers and direct reports ensure that employees feel valued, which builds their commitment to organizational initiatives and desired workplace behaviors.
Measuring Social Support
Determining whether there is social support for a given behavior is tricky for organizational leaders. Traditional methods of surveying and questioning don’t always yield relevant or genuine responses in this area.
Atana provides the solution through training that includes embedded behavioral assessments measuring learners' beliefs and attitudes about a proposed behavior—including the extent to which they feel co-workers and managers would support it. Analytics drawn from the data enable organizations to identify strengths and weaknesses in social support and implement targeted solutions.
Behavioral assessments measure learners' beliefs and attitudes about a proposed behavior—including the extent to which they feel co-workers and managers will support it.
Determining whether there is social support for a given behavior is tricky for organizational leaders. Traditional methods of surveying and questioning don't always yield relevant or genuine responses in this area.
Atana provides the solution through training that includes embedded behavioral assessments measuring learners' beliefs and attitudes about a proposed behavior—including the extent to which they feel co-workers and managers would support it. Analytics drawn from the data enable organizations to identify strengths and weaknesses in social support and implement targeted solutions.
About the Author
Amanda Hagman, Ph.D., Chief Scientist: Behavioral Data Science
Dr. Hagman is an expert in behavior change and intervention science, adept at turning data into practical solutions that drive meaningful change in workplace behaviors. With a background in program evaluation and learning analytics, she uses predictive insights to foster positive behavioral outcomes on a large scale. As head of research at Atana, Dr. Hagman integrates behavioral change principles into training courses tackling common workplace issues. Her work targeting critical behavioral goals is designed to deliver concrete and lasting improvements for organizations.
