Context Drives Behavior... What Now? Applying Human & Organizational Performance (HOP)

Title card: Context Drives Behavior... What Now? featuring Sam Goodman, The HOP Nerd - Human & Organizational Performance podcast episode.

Sam Goodman, The HOP Nerd, continues the "What Now?" mini-series on The HOP Nerd Podcast!

Tired of just talking about Human & Organizational Performance concepts and ready to actually do something? This series is for you. Each episode breaks down a key HOP principle and delivers concrete, practical actions you can take to operationalize it in your workplace.

Sam, known for blending real-life sharp-end strategy with a keen eye for workplace absurdity, draws on his experience helping numerous businesses successfully implement Human & Organizational Performance (HOP).

So, If you've ever asked "Okay, I get the theory... What Now?", tune in as Sam guides you through some real steps to make HOP happen in real life.

On Today's episode, Sam explores Context Drives Behavior... What Now?

We've accepted that error is normal, and we know blame fixes nothing. But why do people do the things they do, especially when it leads to unwanted outcomes? Hint: It's rarely just about their choices. The single most powerful influence is often hidden in plain sight: Context.

Understanding the Power of Context:

What is Context? It's everything around the person and the task: the tools they use, the procedures they follow (or can't follow), the time pressure, the goals they're juggling, the staffing levels, the training they received, the physical environment, the team dynamics, the organizational culture... the list goes on!
Why it Matters: These contextual factors shape and influence behavior far more profoundly than individual intentions alone. People adapt their performance to the realities of the situation they face.
The Flaw in Blame: Blaming individuals ignores this reality. It assumes people operate in a vacuum, making isolated choices unaffected by the world around them.
Local Rationality: A key idea here is that people's actions almost always make sense to them, given their context, knowledge, and goals at that specific moment. Understanding context means understanding this "local rationality."

"What Now?" Action 1: Become a Context Explorer

Idea: Context is often invisible until you actively look for it. You need to deliberately seek out the influencing factors.
Action: Go see where work happens. Talk to people doing the work. Learn with them! Ask questions like: "What makes this task difficult?" "What pressures are you under?" "What workarounds do you use?" "What frustrates you about this process?" Actively map out the contextual influences. Begin pre-event operational learning with Starting Points!

"What Now?" Action 2: Ask "Why Did it Make Sense?"

Idea: To understand behavior, you need to understand the reasoning behind it from the performer's perspective at the time (Local Rationality).
Action: Shift your investigative questions away from judgmental "Why did they do that?" towards curious "What factors made this action seem like the right (or only) thing to do at that moment?" Seek to understand their world, not just judge their actions.

"What Now?" Action 3: Redesign the Context, Not Just the Person

Idea: The most effective way to change behavior is often to change the context that shapes it.
Action: Based on your context exploration, focus on modifying the work environment. Can you improve the tools? Clarify the procedure? Reduce conflicting goals? Provide better information? Remove unnecessary pressures? Make things easier? Make the desired behavior the easier path.

"What Now?" Action 4: Prioritize Systemic Improvements

Idea: Sustainable improvements come from fixing the system (the context), not just repeatedly trying to fix the people within it.
Action: When problems occur, ensure your corrective actions target the identified contextual and systemic factors. Resist the urge to default to "blame, shame, retrain, fire." Fix problems not people.

"What Now?" Action 5: Leaders Actively Shape Context

Idea: Leaders' decisions and actions are a powerful part of the context for their teams.
Action: Leaders must consciously consider how their decisions (about resources, schedules, priorities, communication, responses to failure) shape the context their people work in. Actively manage pressures, provide necessary support, ensure goals are aligned, and model curiosity about context.

Those are just a few actions we chat about in the full episode. Be sure to give it a listen to discover even more ideas on how to move from theory to practice with HOP right now!

Understanding that Context Drives Behavior is a fundamental shift. It moves us from judging individuals to analyzing situations, unlocking far more effective ways to improve safety and performance.

Need a hand with your Human & Organizational Performance journey? GET IN TOUCH!