What drives our behavior?

We often rely on the “fit component” when hiring, however, several organizations tend to ignore the manner in which the environment influences the subsequent behavior of these employees.

Behavior is described as an “observable activity of an organism, anything an organism does that involves action and/or response to stimulation” (Wallace et all. 1991). Behavior is known to have a strong ‘genetic’ basis, which it rightly does in various instances, but that does not justify the exclusion of all those actions and reactions that lack a defined underlying biological basis.

Kurt Lewin’s equations describe the impact of personality and environment on the behavior of an entity. It can be summed up in B=f(P,E)

P — includes the entirety of the person including their past, their present, their expectations of the future, their personality, their capabilities, their motivations, their desires.

E — includes all aspects of the person’s environment at the time of any behavior including their physical environment, but also their social environment and contexts.

In comparison to the long debate in the history of nature versus nurture, this equation enables the individual’s personality and their environment to impact their overall behavior in various ways.

In an Agile world, creating the right environment for your employees or your clients is an essential component. In order to change a person’s behavior as a coach, you must not only focus on navigating their personal traits but also changes in their environment for maximized results.

Lewin also states that along with our strong set of characteristics, the influence of our environment also plays a role in shaping our habits, whether good or bad.

For instance, think of a project you are unable to do justice to given your potential.

What could be the reasons according to you? A lack of motivation/ situational hazards/ both? There could be various environmental and personal factors for the same.

If you are ‘low on ability’, but ‘high on a nourishing and motivating environment’, you probably will work towards and bring about the required change in behavior. For instance, completing a group project at ease versus an individual one.

However, if you are ‘high on ability’ but ‘low on an enriching environment for that behavior’, you are less likely to indulge in the behavior. For example, switching from working in person to working remotely due to the pandemic has created a huge difference in the environment of every individual. How each individual perceives and adapts to the new normal varies, which naturally impacts their behavior, engagement, and productivity. Therefore, behavior is the overall result of one’s innate tendencies and their surrounding opportunities.

Most individuals tend to mix their environments and their personal habits, leading to multitasking and the two getting associated one with the other.

Let’s take a few instances: Snacking while watching TV, exercising only in the ‘morning’, or returning calls only when driving.

These lead to associating one environment with another, leading to habit stacking, however, in a non-productive way. The above association can be tackled by consciously reassociating your habits and your environment. Let me elucidate:

If you consciously chose not to attend calls while driving/ not snacking when watching television and keeping those spaces only for their original purposes, you will break the cycle of habit stacking that carries potential negative consequences.

This equation also assists with understanding ‘Behavior Targeting’, a commonly used marketing method that uses web user information for promoting advertising campaigns. Based on various demographics like location, income, age, etc. which are a blend of heredity and environmental factors, customized plans are created to lure in the target audience to consume the product/service.

So, watch out for the next time you are about to use ‘But I’m just born with x tendency, I can’t change it’ as a defense, and remember that humans are capable of adaptation, changing mindsets, and taking control over situations to work towards healthier decisions!

Thanks, and Stay Agile!

Ram Bathija | Coach, Trainer, Facilitator