How can I get change to stick? (BJ Fogg’s B=MAP)

Every organisation wants change that lasts. Yet most new initiatives fade faster than we expect, not because people do not care but because the system is not built for the behaviour we are asking for.

We have all seen it. A new process launches with enthusiasm, the first few weeks look promising, and then everyone slides back into familiar habits. Posters fade, dashboards stall, and leaders wonder why the energy disappeared. The answer is rarely about commitment. It is about design.

Most change efforts depend on motivation: speeches, incentives, or pressure to do better. Motivation is short-lived. It peaks in meetings and disappears by Monday morning. What really drives lasting change are the conditions that make the new behaviour easy, timely, and rewarding.

Change that sticks is not about convincing people to care more. It is about creating an environment where the desired behaviour feels natural, where success is built into the way work happens.

This article is a guide about how to do that. It introduces a simple framework, B = MAP (Behaviour = Motivation, Ability, Prompt converging) developed by BJ Fogg, and shows how leaders can use it to make change easy to start, easy to continue, and difficult to ignore.

If we want transformation to last, we have to stop relying on willpower and start designing for reality.

Before diving into the full article, here’s a concise overview of the key ideas from BJ Fogg’s B=MAP model — a quick way to grasp the nine essential elements that make change stick.

8 Point summary of BJ Fogg’s B=MAP model

1. Change fails because of poor design, not commitment

Most initiatives fade not from apathy but from poor design. People revert to old habits because systems make new behaviour difficult, not because they do not care.

2. The B=MAP model: behaviour as a system

BJ Fogg’s formula (Behaviour = Motivation + Ability + Prompt) shows all three must work together. Missing any one causes behaviour to stall. Instead of pushing harder, leaders should fix what the system makes hard.

3. Motivation: the spark, not the engine

Motivation starts change but fades with emotion and workload. It answers “Why would I do this?” and works best when linked to purpose, belonging, and visible progress.

4. Strengthening motivation

Three layers sustain motivation: purpose (why it matters), social (who I do it with), and immediate (what I get now). Make benefits visible quickly, build small peer groups, and celebrate steady progress.

5. Ability: design for ease

Even strong motivation fails if behaviour feels hard. Ability depends on time, resources, physical effort, mental effort and social risk. Reducing friction and designing for real conditions makes new habits sustainable.

6. Diagnosing the ability chain

The ability chain (time, resources, physical effort, mental effort, and social risk) helps leaders find the weak link. Fixing the environment—not motivation—removes “resistance.”

7. Prompt: turning intention into action

No behaviour happens without a prompt. Effective prompts are timely, respectful cues built into routines or relationships. Use the “If X, then Y” method to anchor new habits to existing actions.

8. Stopping old habits

Lasting change also means subtraction. Make unhelpful behaviours harder through added friction or reduced access. Stopping frees time and attention for what matters most.

Article in full: The B = MAP overview

Every behaviour, no matter how large or small, depends on three things working together: Motivation, Ability, and Prompt. When any one of these is missing, the behaviour will not happen. This simple idea is captured in the formula B = MAP.

Think of it as the physics of behaviour. People act when they want to (motivation), when they can (ability), and when something reminds them at the right moment (prompt). It sounds obvious, but most organisations focus on only one part of the equation. They try to raise motivation with slogans, targets, or incentives, while ignoring the environment that makes new behaviour possible.

When you view behaviour through the MAP lens, everything becomes more practical. Instead of blaming people for not caring enough, you can diagnose what is really happening.

Example 1: A team is asked to update project data every week. Few people do it. Motivation seems low, but in fact the data entry form is slow and the reminder email comes late on Fridays. The fix is not a pep talk. It is a better form and a reminder that arrives at the right time.

Example 2: A new health and safety routine works for a month, then stops. The behaviour had strong motivation but no consistent prompt. Once the team leader linked the habit to the daily check-in, compliance stayed above 90 percent.

The MAP model helps us see that most resistance to change is design feedback, not attitude. It invites a better question: Which part of the system is missing?

In the sections that follow, we look more closely at each element of MAP and how to design for it in everyday work.

Motivation – Why people start (and stop)

Every change begins with a spark. A person sees a better way and feels the pull to act. That moment of energy is motivation. It is powerful but unreliable. Motivation rises and falls with emotion, context, and confidence. To design change that lasts, we must treat motivation as something to work with, not something to rely on.

Outside of work, we see this every day. You decide to start running, buy the shoes, and feel great for a week. Then the weather turns or the calendar fills, and the plan slips. What changed was not your belief in health but the conditions that made it easy to act.

Inside work, motivation behaves the same way. A team might be passionate about improving customer service, yet enthusiasm fades when the tools are slow or the workload grows. People do not lose interest; they lose energy. Leaders often misread this as resistance when it is simply exhaustion.

In the MAP model, motivation answers the question why would I do this? It can come from purpose, belonging, pride, or curiosity. But it will always fade unless ability and prompt support it. Leaders cannot manufacture permanent enthusiasm, but they can create environments that protect it and help it renew.

When motivation is strong, people can overcome obstacles. When it is weak, even simple actions stall. The design task is therefore not to keep people constantly inspired but to make good behaviour possible on days when energy is low. Motivation is the spark, not the engine.

Understanding the motivation chain

Motivation has layers, and each one fuels behaviour in a different way. When change feels stuck, it helps to ask which layer is missing. The motivation chain shows how these layers connect, from deep purpose to simple reward. When all three are present, behaviour becomes self-sustaining:

1. Purpose-based motivation. This is the “why it matters” layer. People act when they see how the behaviour contributes to something larger such as a shared goal, a customer’s wellbeing, or a community outcome. Purpose creates emotional energy but needs reinforcement to stay vivid.

2. Social motivation. This is the “who I do it with” layer. Belonging keeps behaviour alive long after excitement fades. People sustain habits when they are seen, supported, and connected to others who are doing the same.

3. Immediate motivation. This is the “what I get right now” layer. Humans need visible results. A quick thank-you, an early success, or a small reduction in effort all act as rewards. Without short-term payoff, long-term purpose loses strength.

Strong design aligns all three. Purpose gives direction, social connection gives energy, and immediate feedback gives momentum. When one link weakens, the others can carry it for a while but not forever.

Practical ways to strengthen motivation

Understanding the idea is only half the work. The next step is to translate it into design choices you can see and feel inside everyday work. The following practices help turn motivation from a fleeting emotion into something people can build on together.

1. Start with purpose, not performance. People rarely commit to targets alone. Show how the behaviour improves life for others such as customers, colleagues, or communities. A purpose that matters outside the organisation fuels energy inside it.

2. Make the benefit immediate. Long-term rewards are too distant to drive action. Look for short-term wins or visible feedback that tells people their effort worked. A thank-you, a quick metric, or a simple “we noticed” can keep the spark alive.

3. Build belonging around the behaviour. Motivation spreads through peers, not policies. Create small groups that try the new behaviour together and share what works. Humans are more loyal to one another than to slogans.

4. Protect meaning from overload. When change becomes one task too many, even the most motivated person disengages. Reduce friction elsewhere so people have the space to act on what they care about.

5. Recognise progress, not perfection. Publicly name small wins. Progress gives motivation shape; it turns belief into evidence.

Common traps and how to fix them

Even with clear purpose and early enthusiasm, many teams fall into patterns that quietly drain energy or discourage progress. These traps are common because they are born from good intentions that have gone too far. Recognising them early helps leaders respond with empathy instead of frustration and design solutions that restore energy rather than demand more of it.

Trap 1: Treating motivation as fuel that can be topped up indefinitely: When a change effort slows, the instinct is to push harder: another campaign, another email, another incentive. It feels productive, but constant stimulation leads to exhaustion. Motivation behaves more like weather than fuel; it comes and goes.

Fix: Design for fluctuation, not constancy. Assume motivation will dip and build systems that keep the behaviour alive anyway. Simplify the first step so that it feels achievable even on the lowest-energy days. Celebrate quiet persistence as much as bursts of enthusiasm.

Trap 2: Trying to sell the change: Leaders often overexplain or overpromote a new idea, convinced that if people just understood the benefits, they would comply. The result is noise. People feel marketed to rather than invited in.

Fix: Replace persuasion with participation. Ask employees what already motivates them and link the change to those motivations. When people see their own values reflected in the work, commitment feels like a choice rather than a demand.

Trap 3: Using fear or pressure to create urgency: Fear can mobilise action, but it burns trust. When people are pushed by threat, they may comply but they do so defensively. Anxiety drives short-term results at the cost of long-term engagement.

Fix: Replace urgency with agency. Create small, visible wins that give people a sense of control. Ask what they can influence this week, not what catastrophe might occur next quarter. Confidence sustains behaviour longer than fear ever can.

Trap 4: Ignoring early cynicism: Cynicism is usually a mask for care. People question most what they want to believe in. Yet many leaders treat scepticism as resistance and either argue back or disengage from the doubters. This deepens division.

Fix: Treat cynicism as curiosity in disguise. Listen for the concern behind the sarcasm. When someone says, “We have tried this before,” ask, “What would make it different this time?” Respectful listening often turns sceptics into allies.

Trap 5: Rewarding compliance instead of commitment: When leaders reward only visible performance, they send the message that conformity matters more than learning. The result is minimal compliance and no ownership.

Fix: Recognise effort, insight, and initiative, even when results are still forming. Thank the experimenters. When people see that exploration is valued, motivation becomes self-sustaining.

Motivation is where change begins, not where it ends. It is the emotional signal that something matters, but design determines whether that signal becomes action. When leaders connect purpose, belonging, and small rewards, motivation renews itself naturally and becomes the quiet heartbeat of lasting change.

Ability – Making it easy

Motivation gets people started, but ability keeps them going. No matter how strong the intention, behaviour change collapses when it feels too difficult to perform. The easier a behaviour becomes, the less it depends on willpower.

In the MAP model, ability means more than skill. It is about design. It asks whether people have the time, tools, knowledge, confidence, and space to act. In short, can they actually do what is being asked of them?

We see this principle everywhere. Outside of work, a fitness app that tracks progress automatically keeps people exercising longer than one that requires manual entry. A recycling bin placed beside the desk collects far more paper than one in the corridor. Small changes in convenience change behaviour.

Inside work, the same logic applies. A team may care deeply about accurate reporting, but if the system requires eight clicks and two passwords, even the most motivated person will delay. An organisation can invest in a “speak-up” culture, but if people must navigate a complex form to raise a concern, silence will win.

When we focus on ability, we shift the question from why do not people care? to how can we make it easier for them to succeed? This small change of lens transforms leadership from managing compliance to designing for flow.

Ability is the part of behaviour we have the most control over. It is where design and empathy meet. When we lower friction, build confidence, and provide clear pathways, change becomes less about effort and more about inevitability.

Understanding the Ability Chain

Every behaviour rests on a sequence of small conditions. If any one is weak, the chain breaks and the behaviour stalls. The ability chain helps leaders diagnose what to fix instead of who to blame.

1. Time – Do people have the space in their day to do this? If not, what can be removed to make room?

2. Money or resources – Are the right tools or materials available? Do people have access when they need them?

3. Physical effort – How much energy does this take? Even small barriers such as extra clicks or extra travel can kill a habit.

4. Mental effort – Is the behaviour clear and intuitive, or does it require constant thought and remembering? Simplicity supports stamina.

5. Social risk – Will this action make someone look foolish, slow, or out of step? Psychological friction is just as real as technical friction.

When you look at a struggling behaviour, ask which link in this chain is weakest. Strengthen that one before increasing motivation or pressure. Most “resistance” disappears when ability improves.

Practical ways to strengthen ability

Improving ability does not require large budgets or complex systems. It requires curiosity about what gets in people’s way and the humility to fix it. The following approaches make new behaviours easier to perform and more likely to last.

1. Simplify before you motivate. Before asking people to try harder, look for what you can remove. Simplify steps, reduce approvals, or automate reminders. Each unnecessary step you eliminate increases the chance of success.

2. Start from where people are. New initiatives often assume skills that people do not yet have. Begin at the real starting point. Provide short learning bursts, quick guides, or peer walk-throughs instead of long training sessions.

3. Design for real conditions, not ideal ones. Many systems work beautifully in workshops and fail on a busy Tuesday. Test new behaviours under pressure. If the process breaks when time is short, it is the design, not the people, that needs to change.

4. Use scaffolding, then remove it. Offer temporary supports such as checklists or buddies until confidence builds. Once the habit forms, reduce support to keep the behaviour lightweight and sustainable.

5. Ask for feedback on ease, not just satisfaction. Include one question in every review: “How easy was this to do?” Patterns in those answers show where to redesign. Ease is a stronger indicator of future success than enthusiasm.

Common traps and how to fix them

Even well-meaning change efforts often make work harder. These traps are subtle because good intentions create them. The following insights help leaders redesign without adding pressure.

Trap 1: Confusing complexity with credibility: New systems often grow dense because detail feels professional. A ten-step process looks more thorough than a three-step one. The result is paralysis disguised as precision.

Fix: Treat simplicity as expertise. Ask, “What can we remove without losing value?” Processes that people can follow easily are more respected than those they can only admire from a distance.

Trap 2: Overtraining and under-practising: Many organisations rely on presentations instead of practice. People leave sessions informed but unprepared.

Fix: Replace instruction with rehearsal. Give people real tools and real situations. Short simulations or shadowing sessions build ability faster than any slideshow.

Trap 3: Designing for perfect conditions: New systems are tested in ideal circumstances and collapse under real pressure.

Fix: Test in the field. Run pilots during busy periods and let actual users show where friction hides. Then fix what fails in real life.

Trap 4: Blaming the person instead of the process: When things go wrong, the default explanation is “they need more training.” This hides weak design behind strong personalities.

Fix: Assume first that the process is broken, not the person. Observe how work actually happens. Adjust layout, tools, timing, or permissions before adding another training session.

Trap 5: Forgetting emotional ease: A behaviour can be simple but still feel risky. Speaking up, asking for help, or trying a new system all carry emotional weight.

Fix: Pair design with trust. Provide reassurance, share your own learning curve, and make it safe to experiment. Confidence is as much an ability as competence.

When ability improves, energy rises naturally. People do not resist change when it feels easy enough to succeed. The more intuitive and supported a new behaviour becomes, the less it needs motivation to survive.

Prompt – Designing the moment

Even when people care and know what to do, nothing happens until something reminds them. A prompt is the small signal that turns intention into movement. As BJ Fogg says, no behaviour happens without a prompt.

Prompts are everywhere in daily life, though we rarely notice them. Think of the small vibration on your phone that tells you it is time to stand up or the sound of the kettle clicking off that reminds you to make tea. A friend sends a text saying, “You still coming to the gym?” and suddenly you are putting on your shoes. None of these messages changes your values; they simply surface the right behaviour at the right time.

The same truth plays out at work. In a hospital ward, compliance with hand-washing rules jumped when dispensers were placed beside every patient bed and posters at the doorway reminded staff to sanitise before entering. In a software company, customer tickets were often left unresolved until the team added a daily ten-minute “open ticket review” to its stand-up agenda. No one’s motivation changed, but the rhythm of reminders did.

Prompts matter because attention is fragile. In busy systems, people do not fail because they lack commitment; they fail because memory competes with momentum. A well-designed prompt respects that limitation. It nudges gently at the moment of opportunity rather than shouting for attention.

Prompts work best when they are part of the environment rather than imposed from outside. They should feel like helpful cues, not surveillance. When leaders get this right, they move from managing reminders to designing moments.

Understanding the three types of prompts

BJ Fogg’s research describes three main kinds of prompts. Knowing which one you are using helps you design more effectively.

1. Action prompts. These are built into the environment. A recycling bin next to the printer, a “mute” button on a meeting platform, or a checklist beside the workstation. They remind by presence, not persuasion.

2. Context prompts. These rely on timing or location. A daily calendar alert, a recurring meeting agenda item, or a Friday summary email. They work when they connect with a natural rhythm.

3. Person prompts. These come from within, often from habits or social cues. A colleague asking “Have we updated this?” or a manager modelling the behaviour. These prompts are relational and the most enduring.

The best designs combine all three. For example, in a hospital, hand-sanitiser dispensers (action prompt) are placed at every doorway, infection dashboards (context prompt) are reviewed each shift, and team leaders demonstrate hand hygiene (person prompt). The behaviour becomes routine because every layer of prompting supports it.

Linking prompts to action: “If X, Then Y”

One of BJ Fogg’s most practical insights is the “If X, then Y” approach. It turns vague intentions into specific triggers. The idea is simple: link a new behaviour (Y) to something that already happens reliably (X).

In daily life, this might sound like:

• If I put the kettle on, then I will take my vitamins.

• If I close my laptop at the end of the day, then I will tidy my workspace.

At work, the same principle applies:

• If we start the team meeting, then we will share one customer story before updates.

• If I finish a client call, then I will record the notes immediately.

The strength of this method lies in its simplicity. You do not need to remember an extra step or set another reminder; you use what already happens as the reminder. Each “If X, then Y” pair creates a small bridge between intention and action.

Over time, these small bridges build a pathway of habit. The cue (X) becomes automatic, and the response (Y) follows naturally. The change no longer depends on memory or motivation because it is anchored in the flow of the day.

When leaders encourage teams to design their own “If X, then Y” habits, they hand over ownership. The behaviour is no longer a rule imposed from above but a pattern people have built themselves.

Practical ways to strengthen prompts

Prompts are at their best when they make the right action obvious at the right time. They work through design, not demand. The following practices help leaders and teams use prompts as gentle invitations to act.

1. Anchor new prompts to existing routines. Pair the reminder with something people already do. For instance, if you want daily updates, link the prompt to the morning stand-up or system login. The fewer new moments you create, the more likely the prompt will land.

2. Place prompts where the behaviour happens. A poster in a hallway rarely changes behaviour in a workspace. Move cues to the point of action: checklists on equipment, prompts beside systems, visual signals in shared areas.

3. Design for timing, not volume. A well-timed single reminder is stronger than a flood of messages. Map when people are most likely to act and send the cue just before that window.

4. Make prompts meaningful. The language of the reminder matters. “Remember to comply” produces guilt; “Thank you for helping this project stay on track” produces ownership. Choose prompts that connect to purpose.

5. Let peers do the prompting. Peer reminders are powerful because they carry trust. Create shared rituals where team members remind one another, not top-down messages that feel like policing.

Common traps and how to fix them

Prompts often fail not because they are missing, but because they are misused. The following traps are widespread in both digital and face-to-face settings.

Trap 1: Mistaking more reminders for better prompting: When a change stalls, we usually add more alerts, pop-ups, and emails. People start tuning them out.

Fix: Fewer, better-timed prompts win. Audit how many reminders people receive in a week and cut half. The remaining ones will stand out.

Trap 2: Treating prompts as instructions rather than invitations: Command-style reminders (“You must…” or “Do not forget…”) create resistance, especially among skilled adults.

Fix: Frame reminders as support. “This helps us stay aligned” or “Would now be a good time to check?” invites cooperation rather than obedience.

Trap 3: Separating prompts from context: A reminder that arrives when people cannot act only increases frustration.

Fix: Pair the cue with opportunity. Schedule the prompt at the moment action is easiest, not when attention is lowest.

Trap 4: Ignoring prompt fatigue: Too many prompts, even polite ones, create background noise. Over time people stop noticing any of them.

Fix: Rotate or refresh prompts regularly. Change visuals, language, or channel to keep cues noticeable without being intrusive.

Trap 5: Over-relying on digital nudges: Technology can deliver prompts efficiently but lacks the warmth of human connection.

Fix: Balance automated prompts with human moments. A quick thank-you in person or a short story about why the behaviour matters strengthens digital reminders with emotion.

Prompts are the bridge between knowing and doing. They remind people not only what to do, but when to do it. Well-designed prompts respect attention, connect to purpose, and turn new behaviours into reliable habits.

How to change current behaviour – Stopping old habits

Most organisations try to change by adding. New tools, new meetings, new targets. The calendar swells and the promise thins. Lasting change usually begins somewhere quieter. It starts by stopping what no longer serves.

We see this outside work all the time. You want to eat better, so you add a complex meal plan. It lasts until Wednesday. What helps more is removing the late-night snack from the cupboard and putting a bowl of fruit where you actually reach. Subtraction creates space for intention.

Inside work, the pattern is similar. A team wants more focus, so it launches a productivity programme. Meanwhile, recurring meetings from three projects ago still fill the diary. Once those meetings are retired and a short daily check-in replaces them, people recover time and energy. The new behaviour arrives because the old friction has gone.

Stopping is not criticism of the past. It is stewardship of the future. We honour what helped once and release it so that better practices can breathe.

Reversing the ability chain

When you want to stop an existing behaviour, the simplest method is to weaken its ability. Every behaviour depends on the same five links in the ability chain: time, resources, physical effort, mental effort, and social risk.

To remove an unwanted habit, reverse that logic. Make the behaviour slower, harder, or less available. Build friction where ease once lived. It sounds small, but it works because habits follow the path of least resistance.

1. Increase time cost. Delay access to the habit. If unnecessary reports are written too often, make them quarterly instead of weekly. Delay reordering of low-value stock or extend approval timelines for low-priority tasks. Slower access reduces use.

2. Reduce resources. Remove or restrict the tools that make the behaviour easy. If an old system keeps being used out of habit, disable logins or hide the shortcut.

3. Add physical or procedural steps. Require a small extra effort for the old behaviour. If teams over-rely on reply-all emails, turn off that default or require an additional confirmation. Friction discourages repetition.

4. Increase mental effort. Make the old path slightly confusing or less visible. Archive outdated templates in a separate folder or move them behind an extra click. When the cognitive path breaks, so does the habit.

5. Add social awareness. Make unhelpful behaviours visible to peers. If lateness or poor documentation is the issue, surface data in shared dashboards or team reflections. Social visibility often corrects what policy cannot.

Reversing the ability chain is not punishment; it is design. It respects people’s good intent while acknowledging that environment shapes choice. When you make an unhelpful behaviour harder and a helpful one easier, motivation has less work to do.

Practical ways to stop old habits

Understanding the need to stop is only the beginning. The next step is to design endings that people can see and feel in everyday work. The following practices make subtraction respectful, clear, and sustainable.

1. Name the weight, together. Invite teams to identify routines that drain energy or add little value. Ask, “If we stopped this for a month, who would notice and why?” Shared diagnosis builds courage to let go.

2. Create a visible stop list. For every new initiative, publish what you will stop to make room for it. Remove or reduce meetings, reports, or approvals. Track and celebrate items retired.

3. Design an off-ramp. Make stopping easy. Archive templates, cancel series in the calendar, remove links from the intranet, and set system expiry dates. If the off-ramp is messy, the old habit will return.

4. Replace with lighter patterns, not heavier ones. When something important still needs to happen, find the smallest behaviour that achieves it. Swap monthly status decks for a two-minute verbal round in a weekly huddle.

5. Mark the ending with respect. Acknowledge what the old practice achieved. Thank the people who carried it. A brief note or a one-minute story in a meeting helps everyone release it without resentment.

Common traps and how to fix them

Even with good intent, endings can stall. These traps are common because they protect comfort and identity. Seeing them clearly helps you act with empathy and resolve.

Trap 1: Treating endings as failure: Teams keep legacy processes because stopping can feel like admitting we were wrong.

Fix: Reframe endings as evolution. Say, “This served us then. It no longer fits now.” Put the emphasis on timing, not fault. A short closure moment in a team meeting normalises healthy endings.

Trap 2: Replacing too quickly: The minute you stop one thing, another appears to fill the space. The system never breathes.

Fix: Hold a deliberate pause. Give the gap two weeks. Notice what is truly missed and what no one asks about. Add back only what earns its place.

Trap 3: Assuming people will just drop the old: Habits are sticky. Without friction, they reappear.

Fix: Remove the path of least resistance. Cancel recurring invites, delete old forms, revoke permissions, and redirect links. Make the old way harder than the new way.

Trap 4: Stopping in one place and leaving signals elsewhere: You end the report, but the KPI dashboard still references it. Confusion keeps the practice alive.

Fix: Update artefacts. Change dashboards, playbooks, job aids, and onboarding materials. Consistent signals prevent drift.

Trap 5: Leaders exempting themselves: Executives keep scanning the old report “just in case.” Everyone notices, and the habit survives.

Fix: Go first, visibly. Announce what you are personally stopping and what you will look at instead. When leaders model the stop, permission spreads faster than policy.

Stopping is a design act. It frees attention, reduces noise, and restores the energy required for new behaviour to stick. When teams learn to subtract with respect, they discover that progress feels lighter, not louder. Subtraction is not a loss of control. It is a choice to carry only what still matters.

Top ten tips for making change stick

After exploring Motivation, Ability, and Prompt, one truth stands out: behaviour change is less about effort and more about design. When people are invited into meaning, supported by simplicity, and reminded at the right moment, change feels natural rather than forced.

This final section gathers the most practical lessons from the MAP framework and the work of BJ Fogg into ten habits of good change design. Each one can stand alone, but together they form a pattern for creating workplaces where change sticks because people want it to, not because they are told to.

Use them as a checklist, a conversation starter, or a guide for redesigning one behaviour at a time.

The top ten tips

1. Start with meaning, not mandate: Before introducing any change, name why it matters to people, not just to performance. Link the behaviour to purpose, values, or service. When people see their own story in the change, it lasts.

2. Shrink the first step: Every big shift begins with a small move. Make the starting action so easy it feels impossible to avoid. Ease creates momentum faster than motivation does.

3. Design for the worst day, not the best: New habits survive when they are realistic under pressure. Test changes on a busy Tuesday afternoon, not in a perfect workshop. If it works when people are tired, it will work when they are inspired.

4. Anchor new actions to existing routines: Use the “If X, then Y” method. Tie new behaviours to things people already do without thinking. When behaviour rides on existing rhythm, it becomes automatic.

5. Make it visible and specific: Ambiguity kills momentum. Replace slogans with clear, observable actions: “Ask one curious question before offering advice” is better than “Be collaborative.”

6. Remove friction first: When change stalls, fix the environment before blaming motivation. Simplify forms, shorten steps, or remove unnecessary approvals. A smoother path beats a louder message.

7. Use prompts with respect: A good reminder feels like a helping hand, not a command. Keep prompts few, well-timed, and connected to purpose. Polite cues work better than constant noise.

8. Balance rewards with recognition: Incentives fade, but genuine appreciation lasts. Notice effort early, name progress often, and thank people publicly. Recognition turns repetition into pride.

9. Subtract before you add: Create room for new habits by retiring old ones. Use the ability chain in reverse to make outdated behaviours harder to continue. Progress often depends on what we stop, not what we start.

10. Model what you ask for: People copy what they see more than what they hear. Show the change through your own routines. When leaders live the behaviour, prompts and messages become almost unnecessary.

Lasting change is less about control and more about care. The MAP model reminds us that people rarely resist change itself; they resist feeling unseen, overwhelmed, or unprepared. When we design with empathy and remove unnecessary struggle, new behaviour becomes the natural outcome of good design.

The question is not how do we make people change?

The question is how do we make it easier for them to choose what they already believe in?

Change sticks when it feels like alignment, not effort.

Self-reflection

Use these questions to explore what you have learned and what you might design next. They work equally well for individual reflection or as prompts for team conversation:

1. Where in your work are you relying on motivation alone to drive change?
2. Which part of your environment makes the right behaviour easy, and which part makes it hard?
3. When have you seen a small prompt or design change make a big difference?
4. What could you stop doing to create more space for what matters?
5. How do you respond when others resist change? Do you ask, What are they telling me about our design?
6. What small “If X, then Y” habit could you begin today that would make tomorrow lighter?
7. How do you show appreciation for effort and progress, not just results?
8. Which of the ten tips could improve one challenge you face this week?
9. What would it look like to make change in your team feel like invitation rather than instruction?
10. How can you act as a convener, helping others shape the design rather than simply follow it?

Reflection keeps the work alive. Change sticks best when we treat it not as a project to finish, but as a practice to keep refining.

Recommended resources on behaviour change

These three resources offer a simple way to explore how behaviour really changes. Together, they show that lasting transformation begins small, grows through design, and thrives when we celebrate progress rather than chase perfection.

1. BJ Fogg – Tiny Habits: The small changes that change everything

The foundation of the Behaviour = MAP model. Fogg explains how to design habits that fit naturally into daily life by starting tiny, celebrating success, and building confidence. His method shows that change sticks when it feels easy and joyful.

• Watch: Forget Big Change, Start with a Tiny Habit (TEDxFremont)

  A short and engaging talk where Fogg introduces the core principles of behaviour design and demonstrates how small victories create momentum.

• Listen: The Tiny Habits Podcast

  A continuing series from Fogg and his team featuring stories, interviews, and coaching sessions about real-world habit design. It brings the book to life through conversation and practical examples.

2. Charles Duhigg – The power of habit: Why we do what we do in life and business

An exploration of the habit loop: cue, routine, and reward. Duhigg shows how individuals, teams, and organisations can change their patterns by redesigning the triggers and rewards that drive behaviour. The book blends science, narrative, and leadership insight.

3. James Clear – Atomic Habits: An easy and proven way to build good habits and break bad ones

A highly practical companion to Fogg and Duhigg. Clear explains how to make new behaviours obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying. His framework is simple enough for daily use and powerful enough to reshape culture over time.

Do you have any tips or advice on making change stick?

What has worked for you?

Do you have any recommended resources to explore?

Thanks for reading!