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In today’s fast-moving, talent-driven world, building a great culture isn’t optional—it’s a strategic imperative. 

But great culture isn’t built on perks or posters. It’s built on behaviours. Specifically, the consistent, everyday behaviours of leaders and teams: how feedback is given, how decisions are made, how conflict is handled, how people show up when things get hard. 

At Steople, we know that real culture change starts with individual leadership transformation. But it doesn’t end there. To make change scalable and sustainable, organisations must embed the behaviour change coaching philosophy into their broader systems, turning it into a cultural operating model. 

Why Culture is a Collection of Behaviours 

Organisational culture is often described as “how things are done around here.” But what drives that? Repeated patterns of behaviour. That’s why any effort to evolve culture must focus not just on values or vision, but on shifting the specific behaviours that bring those ideas to life. 

Through our work across industries and regions, we’ve seen that lasting change happens when: 

  • Coaching is not reserved for the top but is cascaded across levels 
  • Feedback is normalised and appreciated, not feared 
  • Behavioural expectations are clear, observed, and reinforced 
  • Individual growth is supported by team reflection 

Scaling the Steople Behaviour Change Model 

The beauty of the Steople model—Awareness, Desire, Skill-Building, Practice, Feedback, Measurement—is that it works at scale. Here’s how: 

✅ Awareness at Team and Org Level 

Use team assessments, engagement surveys, and culture diagnostics to generate collective insight. Understand, for example, where the gaps are in collaboration, trust, or psychological safety? 

✅ Desire Through Shared Purpose 

Connect behaviour change to team and business goals. Why does improving accountability or communication matter to this team? How will it improve their success? 

✅ Skill-Building via Training & Enablement 

Equip teams with practical skills—like constructive feedback, conflict navigation, or inclusive leadership—through targeted workshops and just-in-time learning. 

✅ Practice in the Flow of Work 

Encourage action plans tied to real-world tasks. Use retrospectives, sprint reviews, or meeting rituals to reinforce new habits. 

✅ Feedback Loops Across Levels 

Foster a feedback culture where individuals seek, give, and act on feedback—vertically and laterally. 

✅ Measurement as Culture Pulse 

Use pulse checks, behavioural metrics, and outcome indicators to track cultural shifts. Don’t just measure sentiment—measure what people do differently. 

Case Spotlight: Rajini’s Team and the Trust Turnaround 

In Blog 3, we introduced Rajini—a high-performing leader learning to delegate and empower her team. As she applied the Steople behaviour change coaching model, her own transformation sparked a broader shift. 

What changed? 

  • Her team began reflecting on their own styles in response to her modelling new behaviours. 
  • Rajini introduced peer feedback sessions and encouraged everyone to share learning goals. 
  • The team adopted a “Growth Moments” ritual in team meetings, where members shared what they were practising and what support they needed. 
  • Trust scores on their internal team health check rose by 22% in 3 months. 

Why it worked: The change wasn’t isolated. It was supported, shared, and sustained. 

From Coaching to Culture: Steople’s Scalable Tools 

Here are some of the ways we help organisations embed a behaviour change culture: 

  • 360° Feedback Programs that focus not just on awareness, but on development plans 
  • Team Coaching aligned to group goals and interpersonal dynamics 
  • Psychometric tools across hiring, onboarding, and development stages 
  • Manager-as-Coach programs that scale coaching capability 
  • Pulse surveys that track behavioural culture indicators over time 

The Future of Work is Behaviour-Driven 

AI, automation, and disruption are transforming what we do. But how we do it—how we lead, connect, grow, and collaborate—will continue to define our performance and wellbeing. 

That’s why behaviour change culture is not just an HR project. It’s a business advantage. 

Ready to scale behaviour change in your organisation? 
Let’s talk about building a culture of growth, feedback, and psychological safety with Steople 

 Book a time to speak with a Steople consultant today!

Self-awareness is essential, and self-reflection is the key to gaining it. But awareness on its own isn’t enough.  

How many times have you heard someone say, “I know I need to change,” yet nothing shifts? Maybe you’ve even said something similar yourself.  

Leaders aren’t always aware when they’re being overly reactive, caught in the details, or avoiding difficult conversations, but their teams feel it. They notice when trust is low and communication starts to break down. Recognising the issue is just the first step.  

The real transformation happens when insight leads to action and that’s where behaviour change coaching becomes a game-changer.  

The Missing Link in Most Coaching Programs  

Many coaching approaches stop at awareness. They deliver a great psychometric report, a few compelling insights, and maybe even an inspiring conversation. But without a structured follow-through, the momentum stalls and nothing actually changes.  

What makes Steople’s coaching approach different is our commitment to helping clients move from insight → clarity → action → reinforcement. We don’t just coach for awareness; we coach for lasting and meaningful change.  

Applying the Model: How Behaviour Change Coaching Works  

Let’s look at how the Steople Positive Behaviour Change Model shows up in practice.  

Case Example: From Micromanagement to Empowerment  

Rajini, a senior leader in an accounting firm, scored highly on drive and analytical thinking, but struggled with delegation and trust. Feedback from peers described a tendency to “take over” and “get in the weeds.”  

Stage 1: Awareness  

Psychometric data and 360° feedback helped Rajini recognise this pattern and its unintended impact: disempowering their team.  

Stage 2: Desire 

 With support from their coach, Rajini connected this behaviour to their identity as a “problem-solver”, realising that holding on too tightly was limiting both team growth and strategic focus.  

Stage 3: Skill-Building  

Together with their coach, Rajini practiced setting clearer expectations, using coaching-style questions, and holding space during team check-ins.  

Stage 4: Practice 

Over eight weeks, Rajini committed to stepping back in meetings and allowing direct reports to present updates. Rajini journaled their reflections and shared progress with their coach.  

Stage 5: Feedback  

Midway through, Rajini invited feedback from team members, who noticed a shift in tone in Rajini’s approach and letting go of tasks. This validation was a key motivator for Rajini to continue practising these new skills.  

Stage 6: Measurement  

By the final session, Rajini self-rated against the behavioural goal of “delegates appropriately” and tracked improvements in team engagement survey scores.   

Outcome: 

Rajini increased delegation and team accountability, which provided them more time for strategic focus. This was a real and noticeable positive shift in behaviour, which is measurable and meaningful.  

Coaching as a Catalyst, Not a Crutch  

At Steople, we don’t create dependency on coaching. We create self-generating growth. The coach acts as a catalyst, challenging thinking, introducing tools and resources, and holding space for reflection. But ultimately, the power lies with the coachee.  

Using our Steople model, leaders learn how to:  

  • Translate feedback into action  
  • Reinforce new habits through repetition  
  • Build their own accountability loops  
  • Measure their growth in ways that align with business goals  
  • Make changes that are meaningful to the leader and impactful to others 

 

What Makes Steople Coaching Stick?  

      ✔ A psychologically grounded model  

      ✔ Personalised behavioural goals  

      ✔ Real-time practice and feedback  

      ✔ Organisational alignment  

      ✔ Measurement over time  

      ✔ Great relationships between coach and coachee  

It’s this holistic approach that enables Steople to drive meaningful and measurable behaviour change across all levels of an organisation. 

Up Next 

In the final article of this series, we’ll explore how to scale this impact: embedding a culture of feedback, growth, and continuous development at the team and organisational level. 

Curious how coaching could shift behaviour—and culture—in your business? 
Contact us to learn more.  

If you’ve ever led change in an organisation, you know this: insight alone doesn’t create transformation. 

You can run a 360° survey, deliver feedback reports, even provide executive coaching—but without a structured and supported pathway forward, behaviour change is often short-lived. People slide back into old habits, even when they know better. 

That’s why we created the Steople Positive Behaviour Change Model—a simple yet scientifically grounded framework that turns self-awareness into sustained behavioural growth. 

In this article, we’ll unpack the six stages of our model and explain how it underpins Steople’s coaching, assessment, and leadership development programs. 

A Model Rooted in Psychology and Practice 

At Steople, we draw from core psychological theories including: 

  • Transtheoretical Model of Change – which emphasises readiness for change across stages 
  • Self-Determination Theory – highlighting the importance of autonomy, competence, and relatedness 
  • Social Cognitive Theory – where modelling, reinforcement, and self-efficacy fuel behaviour adoption 

Combined with our experience coaching hundreds of leaders, we’ve distilled the process into a pragmatic sequence that guides clients from insight to embedded habit. 

The 6 Stages of the Steople Behaviour Change Model 

  1. Awareness

“You can’t change what you can’t see.” 

Change starts with clarity. Through experience and attention, we can understand where the need for change exists. We may use psychometric assessments, 360° feedback, structured interviews, and facilitated coaching, as a catalyst for individuals develop deep awareness of their behavioural patterns, strengths, and blind spots. This is where coaching begins—not with advice, but with reflection.  

  1. Desire

“Insight creates opportunity. Desire fuels commitment.” 

Awareness alone doesn’t guarantee action. People need to want to grow. Steople coaches work to uncover personal motivations—connecting behavioural change to identity, values, or goals. This taps into intrinsic motivation, the most sustainable driver of change. 

  1. Skill-Building

“New behaviour requires new tools.” 

Once a client is committed, we help them build the practical capabilities needed to show up differently—whether it’s conflict resolution, strategic delegation, or coaching their own teams. We draw on evidence-based tools, frameworks, and real-world examples to support this step. 

  1. Practice

“Repetition is the path to mastery.” 

Theory becomes real when it’s applied. Through role-playing, shadowing, scenario analysis, or guided experiments, clients put new behaviours into practice in the flow of work. This echoes Bandura’s Social Learning Theory—we learn by doing, especially when feedback follows. 

  1. Feedback

“Progress needs perspective.” 

Constructive feedback from managers, peers, or coaches is crucial. We encourage structured feedback loops to reinforce what’s working and calibrate what’s not. This builds self-efficacy—the belief that one can change—which is essential for sustained effort. 

  1. Measurement

“What gets measured gets reinforced.” 

The final—and often overlooked—step is tracking change. Through pulse surveys, coaching check-ins, or behavioural metrics, we create accountability. Measurement turns subjective improvement into visible momentum and reinforces organisational commitment to growth. 

Why the Model Works 

What makes the Steople behaviour change model different is its blend of science and application. It’s: 

  • Simple enough to be memorable 
  • Flexible enough to adapt to different individuals and contexts 
  • Rigorous enough to hold up under scrutiny from HR, executives, and psychologists alike 

And it works—because it was designed to work with how people actually change, not just how we wish they would. 

Bringing the Model to Life Through Coaching 

Every Steople coaching engagement is tailored, but the underlying rhythm remains consistent: generate awareness, ignite desire, build skills, practice them, reinforce with feedback, and measure outcomes. This structure allows our coaches to deliver consistent, measurable impact—while empowering individuals to take ownership of their own growth. 

Next Up 

In our third article, we’ll explore how this model shows up in real-world coaching engagements—sharing practical examples of how behaviour change coaching leads to breakthrough performance and stronger cultures. 

 

Want to explore how the Steople behaviour change model could drive measurable growth in your leaders or teams?
Reach out to us to learn more. 

Leadership is often wrapped in romantic ideals: vision, charisma, influence, unwavering drive. In theory and popular culture alike, the image of the “great leader” is painted in broad, inspirational strokes. Leadership seminars and bestsellers are full of promises: five steps to be visionary, three habits of transformational leaders, or seven rules to inspire followership.
But the critical question remains: How do these abstract ideals translate into practice when the leader lacks foundational capability?
At Steople, we see this gap clearly in our executive coaching work. Leaders are often inspired by models of greatness, but without mastering essential managerial and interpersonal skills, even the most motivated leader can falter. True leadership doesn’t rest on vision alone — it’s built on the competence to turn that vision into action, even in the messiness of day-to-day complexity.
The Dual Lens: Task vs. People
Many leadership frameworks fall into two broad camps: task-oriented and people-oriented leadership. Each style has its place, depending on the context.
  • Transformational leadership, for example, thrives in stable environments where a leader can inspire, mentor, and elevate people beyond their job descriptions.
  • Transactional leadership, on the other hand, is often more effective in crisis or high-pressure situations that demand precision, structure, and measurable output.
Yet real-world leadership isn’t binary. A people-centred leader must sometimes pivot quickly into task-focused behaviours. Conversely, a task-oriented leader must know how to build trust, engage their team, and communicate vision — not just deliver outcomes.
The ability to navigate this tension with agility is the hallmark of highly effective leaders. But how is that agility developed?
The Role of Core Competencies in Executive Coaching
The ideal leadership style is only as effective as the skills underpinning it. For example:
  • A leader may aim to inspire and motivate, but without time management, their team may drift without direction.
  • They may wish to empower and engage, but without communication skills, their message lacks clarity and traction.
  • They may hope to drive accountability, but without training in feedback and performance coaching, behaviour change never sticks.
This is where executive coaching becomes indispensable. It bridges the gap between leadership aspiration and daily execution. Coaches help leaders build the critical competencies that underpin any leadership style, such as:
  • Structured decision-making
  • Communication and listening
  • Delegation and prioritisation
  • Conflict navigation and emotional regulation
  • Performance management and coaching for accountability
With these tools in place, a leader becomes equipped to tailor their approach to both context and team capability, making them far more versatile and effective.
Situational Leadership: A Dynamic, Competency-Driven Model
Situational Leadership theory asserts that no single style of leadership fits every scenario. Effective leaders assess the task at hand, the capability and motivation of their team, and adapt their style accordingly. This approach has often been criticised as “management-focused” — but here’s the truth:
No leader can thrive without mastering core management skills.
In executive coaching, we help leaders internalise this principle. By refining their core skills, leaders gain the intuitive agility to adjust their leadership style — from coaching to directing, from delegating to supporting — based on real-time needs.
Coached leaders develop a flexible leadership “toolkit,” enabling them to shift styles seamlessly. They can inspire during times of clarity, direct during ambiguity, and coach through growth. This capacity to adapt rather than react is the defining quality of high-performing, future-ready leaders.
Building Adaptive Leaders from the Inside Out
At Steople, we help leaders develop this blend of insight and execution through our Positive Behaviour Change Framework™. Our coaching process is not a checklist of traits, but a deeply personalised journey that builds capability where it matters most.
The outcome? Leaders who don’t just follow a leadership model — they create their own, grounded in experience, planning, and the mastery of essential skills.
Ready to Lead with Confidence and Competence?
If your leaders are ready to move beyond theory and build the real-world skills that drive change, Steople can help.
Contact us today to learn more about our executive coaching programs.

Let’s face it; real, lasting behaviour change is hard. 

Whether you’re trying to coach a leader to delegate more, help a team communicate better, or guide someone through a transition, change doesn’t happen just because we want it to. Even with the best intentions, people often revert to old habits. Why? Because without structure, support, and science, change simply doesn’t stick. 

At Steople, we believe positive behaviour change is not just possible, it’s essential. It’s the foundation of everything we do. Whether we’re coaching a senior executive, assessing a team, or designing an organisation-wide program, we draw from psychological science to build sustainable, human-centred development strategies. 

The Psychology Behind Why Change Fails 

Many change initiatives overlook one simple truth: humans are not logic machines—we are emotion- and habit-driven beings. According to the Transtheoretical Model of Change, people move through distinct stages: Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, and Maintenance. Without guiding someone through each phase, especially the messy middle between insight and implementation, change stalls. 

Likewise, Self-Determination Theory (Ryan & Deci) tells us that to be intrinsically motivated, people need three things: 

  • Autonomy – to feel they are in control of their decisions 
  • Competence – to believe they can succeed 
  • Relatedness – to feel supported and connected 

Traditional coaching often neglects these core needs—pushing people to “improve” without understanding what matters to them. At Steople, we do things differently. 

The Steople Positive Behaviour Change Model 

Our model is built around six critical stages, rooted in decades of psychological research and practical coaching experience: 

  1. Awareness
    We begin by developing deep self-awareness—using data-driven tools such as personality assessments, 360° feedback, and behavioural interviews. Self-awareness activates the contemplation phase of change and creates a readiness to improve. 
  2. Desire
    Insight alone doesn’t create action. The individual must develop an internal motivation—a desire—to grow. This aligns with intrinsic motivation theory, which states that change is more likely when driven by personal values and goals, not external pressure. 
  3. Skill-Building
    Drawing on Social Learning Theory (Bandura), we know people learn new behaviours by observing, modelling, and practising. At this stage, we work with the individual to develop specific, relevant capabilities aligned to their role and aspirations. 
  4. Practice
    New behaviours need repetition to become habits. This is where coaching becomes hands-on—integrating real work challenges and using behavioural rehearsal, feedback loops, and direct observation to embed learning.
  5. Feedback
    Feedback reinforces self-efficacy. According to Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory, people need to see progress to sustain effort. We help leaders seek timely, constructive feedback so they can adjust and continue growing.
  6. Measurement
    Measurement provides accountability and closure. Whether through pulse surveys, behavioural KPIs, or coach reflections, monitoring change over time solidifies progress and helps organisations quantify impact. 

Why Coaching Needs This Model 

Without a structured psychological framework, coaching risks becoming aimless, nice conversations with little follow-through. But when coaching is grounded in science, it becomes transformative. 

Our coaches use this model not as a rigid formula, but as a guide—tailoring the experience to each individual’s readiness, goals, and context. That’s what makes our approach both human and high-impact. 

What’s Next 

In our next article, we’ll explore how we bring this model to life in practice, and how behaviour change coaching can help leaders thrive, teams align, and strategy come to life. 

Because with the right insights, tools, and support, positive behaviour change isn’t just possible. It’s powerful. 

 

Ready to explore Steople’s coaching approach for your leaders or teams?
Contact us to learn more. 

“I don’t feel comfortable around them. I never know what to expect.”
“I’m scared to share my ideas because I’m not sure how my leader will react.”
“Their mood changes all the time—it’s hard to know where I stand.”
These aren’t just passing comments. These are real statements we’ve heard from team members across industries – signs of psychosocial risk that often go unnoticed until performance drops, trust fractures, or valuable people quietly disengage.
In today’s fast-paced, high-demand work environments, leaders are under pressure to deliver outcomes. But the leaders who truly enable performance understand this: you can’t get results without safety – and you can’t have safety without consistency.

The Link Between Psychosocial Safety and Psychological Safety

Workplaces are now legally and ethically obligated to identify and mitigate psychosocial risks – aspects of the job or environment that impact mental health and wellbeing. These include excessive workloads, poor communication, role ambiguity, and leadership behaviours.
One of the most effective buffers against these risks?

Psychological safety.

Harvard’s Amy Edmondson defines psychological safety as “a shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking.” In simple terms, it’s what allows people to speak up, ask for help, challenge the status quo, or admit mistakes—without fear of blame, judgement, or ridicule.
But this doesn’t happen by accident. It’s shaped, strengthened, or shattered by how leaders behave every day.

The Power of Behavioural Consistency

Behavioural consistency means showing up with integrity, predictability, and fairness—regardless of the situation. It’s not about being inflexible, but rather about being dependable.
When leaders are consistent, it creates:
✅ Predictability – Teams know what to expect. This reduces anxiety and fosters openness.
✅ Trust – When people trust their leader’s responses, they’re more likely to take healthy risks, offer feedback, and innovate.
✅ Clarity – Consistent behaviour sets clear expectations for how people relate, collaborate, and engage.
When leaders are inconsistent—one day approachable, the next reactive – employees play it safe. They stay quiet. They disengage. And performance suffers.

Why It Matters for High-Performing Teams

You can have the best strategy, but if your people don’t feel safe to contribute, question, or challenge—it won’t matter.
High-performing teams aren’t just skilled—they’re secure. They operate in environments where trust isn’t a buzzword, but a behaviour. And that starts at the top.
At Steople, we work with leaders and teams every day to build cultures that embed both psychosocial safety and psychological safety—because they are the foundation of performance.

Our Approach to Building Safer, Stronger Teams

At Steople, we don’t believe in surface-level training or tick-box compliance. Our work is grounded in research, behavioural psychology, and culture transformation.
Here’s how we support organisations to go beyond compliance:
  •  Leadership Development – Helping leaders build the self-awareness and behavioural discipline to model consistency and foster safety.
  • Team Workshops – Facilitated conversations and tools to build trust, shared language, and psychological safety at a team level.
  • Psychosocial Risk & Culture Assessments – Identifying the hidden risks shaping your workplace experience—and turning insights into action.
  • Ongoing Coaching & Culture Support – Embedding change with real-time coaching, accountability, and behavioural alignment.

What’s the Cost of Inconsistency?

When employees feel like they’re walking on eggshells, engagement dies. When leaders are unpredictable, trust erodes. And when trust is gone, performance follows.
The good news? This is preventable. Psychosocial safety and high performance are not in conflict—they are interdependent.
If your organisation is ready to take a proactive, evidence-based approach to leadership, culture, and team performance, we’re here to help.
Let’s start the conversation. Contact us at www.steople.com.au or reach out directly to one of our team.