I interviewed Jez Groom yesterday, an applied behavioral scientist who once helped an entire country, Mexico, get a bit leaner and healthier, someone who helped establish behavioral science at Ogylvi.
Where did they start to get Mexico leaner? With a movie.
A national campaign that simply made people aware that where they were… wasn’t where they wanted to be.
Before anyone will change, they need understanding, the emotional realization that the current path isn’t working or won’t work soon.
No awareness, no movement.
Why go through the pain of change if you don’t think there’s a problem?
When you’re trying to help someone change, a whole country, or just your team, you have to make sure they feel the gap between where they are and where they want to be. Without that, all the logic, tools, and incentives in the world won’t matter.
Welcome to the TTM.
A framework that emerged in psychotherapy that has been proven to be quite essential for human change: The Transtheoretical Model of Change (TTM), or simply, the Stages of Change.
It says we move through predictable stages:
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Pre-contemplation (not aware)
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Contemplation (aware but not ready)
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Preparation (getting ready)
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Action (doing)
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Maintenance (keeping it up)
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Termination (it’s who you are now)
When I followed up with Jez and asked where he’d start a behavior change program, once awareness is there and his answer was another applied behavioral science golden nugget:
“Once there’s awareness, just get them to do something, anything, that shifts them from a non-doer to a doer.”
It’s that simple. And that's what I use in coaching all the time now. Even in the most stubborn cases.
If you don’t exercise, start standing more.
If you eat no fruit or veg, start with one apple.
If you never plan, do a 1-sentence reflection.
If you’ve never used AI, just open one tool and play.
...
Start where you are.
Change comes in stages.
That’s where most communication about change, especially internal change programs or marketing — fails.
They throw the “whole salad bowl” at people who don’t even know vegetables exist.
Don't send someone an elaborate email if they didn't agree to read a single sentence from you.
And now ask yourself, where are you or your team in the stages of change?
Are you creating awareness first, or trying to dump change like an icy bucket of water on people?
PS The most effective Change Management models start with awareness - Adkar or Kotter model. All “habits guru” agree - start the new habit tiny.