Can you Teach an Old Dog New Tricks? Changing Behaviour in the Workplace

Well I don’t know about dogs, but I am pretty sure cats can’t be taught new tricks. Our cat Florence recently came back to us after being away for four months. Her departure followed a few weeks after shifting house. We had mourned her and figured that she was probably up with the big guy in the sky, so it was definitely a surprise when a chap popped around and said that our cat was living under his house on the other side of town.

Being a psychologist I have always been fascinated in behavioural change, and when Florence was a kitten and young cat, I used many of the psychological learning techniques that I had picked up through my studies in an attempt to mould and at times change her into a considerate and well rounded cat. Alas, disappointment has ensued as after all her tuition and even following her recent sabbatical she still doesn’t seem to appreciate where the money comes from to purchase her biscuits and at times still seems content to miss her kitty litter tray when going to the toilet, demonstrating little consideration to the those who then have to clean up her mess.

But what about people? Can people change? Well, like Florence it seems that as we get older our personalities become fairly static and there isn’t a lot of shift. However, in comparison to our feline friends we appear to have another level of complexity which allows us to reflect and alter our behaviours in order to compensate for any personality deficiencies we may be harbouring. This is definitely valuable when considering workplace environments and the different types of personalities that people bring to the table. From my experience though, there seems to be some people who are more able to change their behaviour, while others appear less salvageable and more concrete in their ways.

The key questions I ask myself when considering whether a person can change behaviour are:

1. Is this person open to feedback or are they resistant/defensive?
3. Are they self-aware and can they reflect on the impact of their behaviour/s?
2. Do they understand why they need to change their behaviour/s?
4. Are they willing and motivated to change their behaviour/s?

If I establish that a person is likely to change, then I start asking myself further questions:

5. Does the person know the specific behaviour/s they need to change and how to change these?
6. What support is needed to help them change?
7. Can the person visualise what effective change will look like?
8. How will their behavioural change be monitored and rewarded?

Good Luck!!!

Disclaimer:
It is fruitless and not recommended that you use these questions in facilitating behavioural change in your fluffy, four-legged friend.