Summary

Duration: 2 hours

Group Size: ~10 participants

Format: In-person, highly interactive

Workshop Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Identify specific behaviours that support or undermine team effectiveness
• Distinguish between individual and collective behaviour patterns
• Determine which behaviours to keep, stop, or start
• Understand how to change behaviours (individually and as a team)
• Create accountability structures for behaviour change
• Leave with specific commitments and practical strategies for making changes stick

Materials Needed

• Flipchart/whiteboard
• Post-it notes (three colours: green for keep, red for stop, yellow for start)
• Printed handouts: Behaviour Impact Assessment, Behaviour Change Framework, Keep-Stop-Start Guide, Behaviour Change Toolkit, Personal Action Plan
• Large paper for behaviour mapping
• Markers
• Timer
• Name tags/table tents

Process

SEGMENT 1: Opening & Discovery (20 minutes)

Welcome & Context Setting (3 min)

• Brief welcome and workshop objectives
• Ground rules: specific not vague, honest not polite, focus on behaviour not character
• Normalise that all teams have behaviours that help and hinder

Activity: “Behaviour Impact Mapping” (17 min)

Purpose: Surface specific behaviours that have the biggest impact (positive and negative) on team effectiveness

Individual Reflection (5 min):

Think about behaviours in your team—what people actually do:

• One specific behaviour that really helps the team succeed (you wish everyone did this)
• One specific behaviour that holds the team back (you wish this would stop)

Write each on a post-it with a concrete example

Be specific: Not “bad communication” but “interrupting in meetings”

Silent Posting (3 min):

Create two flip chart areas:

• “Behaviours that help us succeed”
• “Behaviours that hold us back”

Everyone posts their sticky notes silently, reading others’ as they go

Clustering and Patterns (6 min):

As a group:

• Cluster similar behaviours together
• Name each cluster
• Count how many people identified similar behaviours
• Note surprises or strong reactions

Brief Discussion (3 min):

• What patterns do we see?
• What behaviours have the biggest impact?
• What surprises us?

Frame: “Today we’ll get specific about which behaviours to keep, stop, and start—and how to make those changes real.”

Facilitator Notes:

• Push for specificity from the start—“better communication” becomes “asking clarifying questions before disagreeing.”
• Common helpful behaviours include: following through on commitments, sharing information proactively, offering help, admitting mistakes, giving direct feedback, listening without interrupting.
• Common problematic behaviours include: interrupting, side conversations, withholding information, missing deadlines without notice, complaining without problem-solving, taking credit for others’ work, avoiding conflict. Watch for behaviours blamed on “others” vs. acknowledged in ourselves—create space for self-awareness.
• Some behaviours may be controversial—note this as important data. For intact teams, this reveals real patterns. For mixed groups, surfaces common challenges.

SEGMENT 2: Understanding Behaviour and Change (15 minutes)

Mini-Teach: How Behaviours Work (15 min)

The Definition:

Behaviour: Observable actions that can be seen and described. What someone does, not what they are.

Key distinction: “You’re unprofessional” is a judgment. “You arrived 20 minutes late without notice” is a behaviour.

Why Behaviours Matter:

Behaviours create culture:

• Culture is experienced through behaviour
• What people actually do shapes team norms
• Behaviour change is the most direct path to culture change

Behaviours drive results:

• Team effectiveness depends on collective behaviours
• Small behaviour changes can have large impact
• Consistent behaviours create predictable outcomes

Behaviours are changeable:

• Unlike personality or values, behaviours are within our control
• Can be learned, practiced, and reinforced
• Change one behaviour, create ripple effects

Individual vs. Team Behaviours:

Individual behaviours:

• What each person does
• Within personal control
• Example: “I check my phone during meetings”

Team behaviours:

• Collective patterns and norms
• Require shared commitment
• Example: “We start meetings on time”

Both matter: Individual change influences team patterns. Team norms influence individual behaviour.

The Behaviour Change Challenge:

Why behaviour change is hard:

Habits are automatic

• Most behaviour is unconscious
• Don’t notice we’re doing it
• Feels natural or inevitable

Context triggers behaviour

• Situations cue old patterns
• Environment shapes what we do
• Changing context helps change behaviour

No immediate feedback

• Don’t always see impact of behaviour
• Consequences are delayed
• Hard to connect cause and effect

Social pressure

• Team norms are powerful
• Don’t want to be different
• Conformity feels safer

Lack of accountability

• No one calls out problematic behaviour
• No reinforcement for new behaviour
• Easy to slip back to old patterns

Insufficient skill

• May not know how to do new behaviour
• Old behaviour is easier
• Need practice and support

The Behaviour Change Process:

1. Awareness

• Notice the behaviour (yours and team’s)
• Understand its impact
• Recognise triggers and patterns

2. Choice

• Decide which behaviours to change
• Prioritise (can’t change everything)
• Commit to specific behaviours

3. Action

• Practice new behaviour
• Use strategies and tools
• Create supporting conditions

4. Accountability

• Make commitments visible
• Check in regularly
• Give and receive feedback

5. Reinforcement

• Recognise progress
• Celebrate success
• Build new habits

Key Insight: Behaviour change requires both individual commitment and team support. Can’t do it alone, but also can’t wait for others to change first.

The Keep-Stop-Start Framework:

KEEP: Behaviours that serve the team well

• Currently happening
• Want to maintain and strengthen
• Should be recognised and reinforced

STOP: Behaviours that undermine the team

• Currently happening
• Need to eliminate or reduce
• Should be named and addressed

START: Behaviours the team needs

• Not currently happening (or rare)
• Would improve effectiveness
• Need to introduce and establish

Important: Be specific. “Communicate better” isn’t actionable. “Share project updates in Monday meetings” is.

Prioritisation Matters:

Can’t change everything at once. Focus on:

• Highest impact behaviours
• Most feasible to change
• Where there’s shared commitment
• Start small, build momentum

SEGMENT 3: Identifying Behaviours to Keep (15 minutes)

Framework Share: What to Keep and Why (3 min)

KEEP behaviours are your strengths—what’s already working. Danger is taking them for granted or losing them under pressure.

Why name them:

• Make implicit strengths explicit
• Ensure they’re maintained
• Help new members understand “how we work”
• Build on what’s working

Good KEEP behaviours are:

• Specific and observable
• Actually happening regularly
• Genuinely helpful to team
• Worth protecting and reinforcing

Activity: “Behaviours Worth Keeping” (12 min)

Purpose: Identify specific behaviours the team wants to maintain and strengthen

Individual Work (4 min):

Using Behaviour Impact Assessment handout:

List 3-4 specific behaviours you see in this team that really help:

Why this helps: _______________________________________________

Why this helps: _______________________________________________

Why this helps: _______________________________________________

Small Group Synthesis (6 min):

Groups of 3-4:

• Share individual lists
• Identify 2-3 behaviours that appear most frequently or have biggest impact
• Get specific: What exactly does this behaviour look like?
• Write on green post-its

Whole Group Consolidation (2 min):

Each group shares their top KEEP behaviours

Facilitator posts green stickies on flip chart

Group similar behaviours, note frequency

Facilitator Notes:

• Push for specificity and evidence. “We collaborate well” becomes “We proactively offer to help when someone is stuck.”
• Watch for aspirational statements (“we’re honest”) vs. actual behaviours (“we admit mistakes in team meetings”).
• Some may struggle to identify positives—help them notice what they take for granted.
• Ensure KEEP behaviours are actually consistent, not occasional.
• If behaviour happens sometimes, it might be a START (make it consistent) not KEEP.
• For intact teams, these become behaviours to actively protect.
• Celebrate what’s working before diving into problems.

SEGMENT 4: Identifying Behaviours to Stop (20 minutes)

Framework Share: What to Stop and How (5 min)

STOP behaviours actively harm the team—they undermine trust, effectiveness, or wellbeing. Hardest category because it requires naming uncomfortable truths.

Why this is difficult:

• Feels confrontational or negative
• May implicate ourselves
• Worried about finger-pointing
• Easier to ignore than address

Why it’s essential:

• What you tolerate becomes your culture
• Small behaviours compound over time
• Can’t build new without stopping old
• Team effectiveness depends on it

Types of STOP behaviours:

Unproductive patterns:

• Waste time or energy
• Create unnecessary work
• Inefficient or redundant

Trust-damaging behaviours:

• Undermine relationships
• Create suspicion or defensiveness
• Damage psychological safety

Performance-blocking behaviours:

• Prevent good work
• Create barriers to success
• Limit team capability

How to Name STOP Behaviours:

Focus on behaviour, not person:

• “Interrupting in meetings” not “John is rude”
• Describe what happens, not why
• Avoid character judgments

Be specific and concrete:

• Not “negativity” but “complaining about decisions after meetings end”
• Observable actions, not interpretations

Name impact, not intent:

• How behaviour affects team
• What it prevents or damages
• Why it matters

Activity: “Behaviours to Stop” (15 min)

Purpose: Identify specific behaviours that need to stop, with honesty and care

Individual Reflection (5 min):

Using Behaviour Impact Assessment handout:

List 2-3 specific behaviours you see in this team that hold you back:

Be honest but focus on behaviour, not people

Include your own behaviours if relevant

Impact: _______________________________________________

Impact: _______________________________________________

Impact: _______________________________________________

Small Group Dialogue (8 min):

Groups of 3-4:

• Share observations (not names, just behaviours)
• Identify patterns: What behaviours appear multiple times?
• Discuss: What’s the impact of these behaviours?
• Select 2-3 most important to address
• Write on red post-its (behaviour only, no names)

Ground rule: Describe behaviours you’ve witnessed or done yourself, not gossip about others

Whole Group Synthesis (2 min):

• Each group shares key STOP behaviours
• Facilitator posts red stickies on flip chart
• Note patterns and frequency
• Acknowledge difficulty of this conversation

Facilitator Notes:

• This segment requires careful facilitation. Create safety for honesty while preventing blame or attacks.
• If someone starts naming individuals, redirect: “Let’s describe the behaviour itself.”
• Watch for behaviours that are really systemic issues (e.g., “working excessive hours” may be workload problem, not behaviour choice).
• Some behaviours may be sensitive—don’t minimise but focus on impact and what can change.
• Expect discomfort—this is a sign of honest conversation.
• For intact teams, this surfaces real issues. May need to park some for deeper conversation later.
• If truly toxic behaviours emerge (harassment, discrimination), acknowledge these need separate urgent attention beyond workshop.
• Ensure STOP list doesn’t become overwhelming—prioritise in next segment.

SEGMENT 5: Identifying Behaviours to Start (20 minutes)

Framework Share: What to Start and Why (5 min)

START behaviours are needed but not yet happening—gaps in how the team operates. This is about adding new patterns, not just stopping old ones.

Why START matters:

• Can’t just stop behaviours without replacement
• Team needs new patterns to be effective
• Builds on strengths and addresses gaps
• Creates positive momentum for change

Where START behaviours come from:

Addressing STOP behaviours:

• What should we do instead?
• What’s the opposite or alternative?
• Example: Stop interrupting → Start letting people finish

Building on KEEP behaviours:

• How could we do more of what works?
• What would strengthen our strengths?
• Example: Keep giving feedback → Start giving feedback within 24 hours

Filling capability gaps:

• What behaviours would make us more effective?
• What skills or practices do we lack?
• Example: We need to start doing retrospectives after projects

Creating desired culture:

• What behaviours would reflect our values?
• What would our desired culture look like in action?
• Example: If we value transparency, start sharing decision rationale

Good START behaviours are:

• Specific and doable
• Within team’s control
• Address real needs
• Not overwhelming (start small)

Activity: “Behaviours to Start” (15 min)

Purpose: Identify specific new behaviours the team needs to introduce

Individual Brainstorm (5 min):

Using Keep-Stop-Start Guide handout:

Think about what behaviours would help this team:

• To replace STOP behaviours: What should we do instead?
• To build on KEEP behaviours: How can we do more of what works?
• To address gaps: What are we not doing that we need?
• To create desired culture: What behaviours would reflect who we want to be?

Select your top 2-3 START behaviours

Small Group Synthesis (8 min):

Groups of 3-4:

• Share START ideas
• Discuss: Which would have most impact?
• Prioritise: Which are most feasible?
• Select 2-3 key START behaviours
• Write on yellow post-its

Whole Group Consolidation (2 min):

Each group shares priority START behaviours

Facilitator posts yellow stickies on flip chart

Note which appear multiple times

Facilitator Notes:

• Help teams be realistic about capacity—can’t start everything.
• Push for specificity: “Better planning” becomes “Spend first 10 minutes of Monday meeting planning the week.”
• Watch for START behaviours that require stopping something first (finite time/energy).
• Some START behaviours may require skills people don’t have yet—note these as needing support/training.
• Ensure START behaviours are within team’s control, not dependent on external changes.
• For intact teams, these become their behaviour change roadmap.
• Look for quick wins (easy and high impact) alongside longer-term changes.

SEGMENT 6: Prioritising and Planning Behaviour Change (25 minutes)

Framework Share: Making Behaviour Change Stick (8 min)

The Reality:

Identifying behaviours is the easy part. Changing them consistently is hard. Most behaviour change efforts fail because:

• Try to change too much at once
• No clear plan for how to change
• Lack of accountability
• Old behaviours are automatic, new ones require effort
• Team norms pull back to old patterns

Strategies for Successful Behaviour Change:

1. Prioritise Ruthlessly

The principle: Change one or two behaviours well rather than ten behaviours poorly

How to prioritise:

• Impact: Which behaviours matter most?
• Feasibility: Which are easiest to change?
• Readiness: Where is there shared commitment?
• Quick wins: What could show progress quickly?

Focus on: High impact + High feasibility = Start here

2. Make Behaviours Specific and Observable

The principle: Vague intentions don’t change behaviour

Examples:

Vague: “Communicate better” Specific: “Send project updates every Friday by 3pm”

Vague: “Be more respectful” Specific: “Wait until someone finishes speaking before responding”

Vague: “Collaborate more” Specific: “Ask for input before making decisions that affect others”

Test: Can someone observe whether you’re doing this or not?

3. Create Triggers and Reminders

The principle: New behaviours need cues to remember them

Strategies:

• Tie new behaviour to existing routine (“After standup, I’ll…”)
• Set reminders or visual cues
• Start meetings by stating behaviour commitment
• Make it easy to remember

Example: Want to start giving more recognition? Put “appreciation” as standing agenda item in team meetings.

4. Practice and Support

The principle: New behaviours feel awkward at first, need practice

How to support:

• Acknowledge it will feel uncomfortable initially
• Practice in low-stakes situations first
• Support each other in trying
• Share tips and strategies
• Normalise mistakes as learning

Example: If starting to give direct feedback, practice in pairs first

5. Create Accountability

The principle: What gets measured and discussed gets done

Accountability structures:

• Make commitments public to team
• Regular check-ins on progress
• Pair up for mutual accountability
• Discuss behaviour change in team meetings
• Track and visualise progress

Example: Each person shares monthly: “Behaviour I’m working on, progress made, support needed”

6. Recognise and Reinforce

The principle: Behaviour that gets noticed and appreciated gets repeated

How to reinforce:

• Call out when someone demonstrates new behaviour
• Appreciate effort, not just perfect execution
• Share examples and stories
• Celebrate progress
• Build positive momentum

Example: “I noticed you waited for Sarah to finish before adding your point—that really helped the conversation”

Timeline for Behaviour Change:

Week 1-2: High awareness, conscious effort, feels awkward

Week 3-4: Starting to feel more natural, but easy to forget

Week 5-8: Becoming more automatic, but still need reminders

Week 9-12: New behaviour becoming habit, but not fully established

Month 4+: Behaviour more ingrained, but never completely on autopilot

Key Insight: Behaviour change takes 2-3 months to really stick. Need patience and consistency.

Activity: “Behaviour Change Plan” (17 min)

Purpose: Prioritise behaviours and create specific plans for change

Team Prioritisation (7 min):

As a whole group, review all KEEP, STOP, START behaviours:

Select:

• Top 2-3 KEEP behaviours to actively maintain
• Top 1-2 STOP behaviours to address first
• Top 2-3 START behaviours to introduce

Criteria:

• Highest impact on team effectiveness
• Feasible given current capacity
• Shared commitment exists

Facilitator captures agreed priorities on flip chart

Individual Commitment (6 min):

Using Behaviour Change Toolkit handout:

Choose 1-2 specific behaviours you personally will work on:

My behaviour to change: _______________________________________________

Why this matters: _______________________________________________

Specific action I’ll take: _______________________________________________

How I’ll remember to do it: _______________________________________________

How I’ll know I’m succeeding: _______________________________________________

Support I need: _______________________________________________

Pair Accountability Setup (4 min):

Partner with someone:

• Share your behaviour commitment
• Offer to support each other
• Agree how you’ll check in

Facilitator Notes:

• Push for realistic commitments—one or two behaviours, not five.
• Ensure behaviours are specific enough to actually do.
• Watch for people committing to change others’ behaviour—redirect to what they control.
• Help people identify early indicators of success (not perfection).
• For intact teams, ensure team priorities connect to individual commitments.
• Set up accountability structures (when will team check progress?).
• Some may feel overwhelmed by behaviour changes needed—help them see starting small and building is better than attempting everything and changing nothing.

SEGMENT 7: Integration & Commitment (10 minutes)

Tool Distribution (2 min)

Provide take-home resources:

• Behaviour Impact Assessment (already have)
• Behaviour Change Framework
• Keep-Stop-Start Guide (already have)
• Behaviour Change Toolkit (already have)
• Personal Action Plan

Team Commitment (5 min)

For intact teams:

Using Personal Action Plan handout, capture:

Behaviours we’ll KEEP (maintain and strengthen):

Behaviours we’ll STOP (eliminate or reduce):

Behaviours we’ll START (introduce and establish):

How we’ll support behaviour change: _______________________________________________

When we’ll check progress: _______________________________________________

For mixed groups:

Individual commitments:

• One behaviour I’ll work on in my team
• How I’ll introduce keep-stop-start conversation
• One action I’ll take this week

Closing Circle (3 min)

Go around the circle, each person shares:

“One behaviour I’m committing to change is…”

Facilitator provides:

• Reminder that behaviour change takes time and consistency
• Encouragement to start small and build momentum
• Note that accountability and support make change possible
• Invitation to be patient with themselves and each other

Secret Sauce

Energy Management

• Segment 1 should surface both positive and negative honestly
• Segment 3 (KEEP) should feel appreciative and energising
• Segment 4 (STOP) requires careful energy management—can feel heavy or tense
• Segment 5 (START) should rebuild positive energy and momentum
• Segment 6 should feel empowering and actionable
• If energy dips after Segment 4, take 2-minute standing stretch before Segment 5
• Keep moving toward specific action—don’t get stuck in analysis

Common Challenges

“We do everything wrong.” Redirect: Start with KEEP. What’s working? Build on strengths.

Vague behaviours. Keep pushing: “What specifically? Give me an example of what that looks like.”

Blaming others. Redirect: “What behaviour have you witnessed or done?” Focus on patterns, not people.

Defensiveness when STOP behaviours named. Normalise: “We all have behaviours to work on.” Focus on impact, not blame.

Too many behaviours to change. Help prioritise ruthlessly: “If you could only change one thing, what would it be?”

“We’ve tried before and it didn’t work.” Explore what was missing: Specificity? Accountability? Support? What will be different this time?

Individual feels powerless. Remind: “You control your own behaviour. Model the change you want to see.”

START list is overwhelming. Reduce scope: “What’s one small behaviour you could start this week?”

Timing Flexibility

• If running behind: Reduce Segment 4 to 15 min (3 min teach, 12 min activity)
• If ahead: Deeper exploration in Segment 6 on specific behaviour change strategies
• Can use additional time in Segment 7 for more detailed team planning

Key Facilitator Moves

In Segment 1: Set tone for specificity and honesty from the start

In Segment 3: Ensure KEEP behaviours are actually happening, not aspirational

In Segment 4: Create safety for naming hard truths while keeping focus on behaviour not people

In Segment 5: Help teams be realistic about capacity—start small

In Segment 6: Push for concrete plans not vague intentions

Throughout: Maintain focus on observable behaviours, not judgments or interpretations

For Intact Teams vs. Mixed Groups

Intact teams: This is real behaviour change work for their team. Push for commitment and specificity. They should leave with clear behaviour priorities and accountability plans.

Mixed groups: Focus on learning the process and identifying personal behaviours to work on. Team discussions become practice for conversations they’ll have in their own teams.

Follow-Up Suggestions

• For intact teams: Check in on behaviour commitments at next 2-3 team meetings
• Individual: Track your behaviour change for 30 days, note progress
• Weekly: Share one example of new behaviour in action
• Monthly: Review team behaviour priorities, adjust as needed
• Recognize and celebrate behaviour changes publicly
• After 90 days: Assess which behaviours have stuck, what still needs work
• Address behaviour violations promptly and directly

Success Indicators

You’ll know the workshop worked if:

• Participants can name specific behaviours (not vague generalities)
• Clear priorities identified (not trying to change everything)
• KEEP behaviours are celebrated and protected
• STOP behaviours are named honestly without blame
• START behaviours are realistic and actionable
• Individual commitments are specific and owned
• Accountability structures are in place
• Team has plan for checking progress
• Energy is focused on what’s controllable
• Balance of individual responsibility and team support

Appendix: Key Concepts Summary

Behaviours Are Observable Actions

Not personality, character, or intentions—specific things people do that can be seen and described.

Culture Is Experienced Through Behaviour

Want to change culture? Change behaviours. What people actually do matters more than what they say.

Both Individual and Team Behaviours Matter

Individual change influences team patterns. Team norms influence individual behaviour. Need both.

Keep-Stop-Start Framework Provides Structure

Keep what’s working. Stop what’s harmful. Start what’s needed. All three categories matter.

Prioritise Ruthlessly

Can’t change everything at once. Focus on highest impact, most feasible behaviours. Start small and build.

Specificity Enables Change

Vague intentions don’t change behaviour. “Send updates every Friday” is actionable. “Communicate better” isn’t.

Behaviour Change Takes Time

New behaviours feel awkward initially. Need 2-3 months to really stick. Patience and consistency required.

Accountability Makes Change Possible

Public commitments, regular check-ins, and feedback create accountability. What gets discussed gets done.

Support and Recognition Sustain Change

Can’t do it alone. Need team support, encouragement, and celebration of progress.