Good intentions are quickly formulated. Plans are made but often not implemented. The combination of motivation and good planning increases the likelihood of success. Motivation alone is often not enough to overcome the challenges that arise.
A leader might set the goal: "I want to communicate better with my team members." The leader finds information on team communication in various books and also attends a seminar for practical exercises. Will practical transfer occur in this example alongside learning success? Probably not, because the leader has not established a concrete plan for when and in what situations the new communication patterns (the specific behavior) should occur. New behaviors must inevitably replace existing behaviors or habits. This is where the If-Then plans come into play.
How to help your participants with an If-Then plan
In seminars and coaching, If-Then plans are an excellent method for supporting behavioral changes. Why? The user must describe specific behavior in a specific situation.
The first part of the formula describes in what situation the new behavior should occur (the "If...").
The second part of the formula, the "Then..." part, answers the question: What exactly do I want to do? Vague, unclear goals are implemented less frequently. When a specific behavior is described, the goals automatically formulate according to the SMART rule. This way, the first hurdle is already overcome.
The user simultaneously formulates behaviors that they do not want to engage in.
If-Then plans support the formation of habits. If the If-Then plans are regularly implemented successfully, the sequence of trigger, behavior, and reward will establish (= new habit).
Some examples of If-Then plans
"If I come home from work on Thursday, then I will take a walk around the gravel pit for 20 minutes."
"If I receive a new task, then I check if I can complete it in 2 minutes. If not, then I write the task down in my notebook."
"If I notice that I am speaking quickly, then I pay attention to the pace, clarity, and volume of my voice."
"If I go to the cafeteria, then I will quickly walk past the sweets."
"If we start a team meeting with a new topic, then I (as a leader) will first listen to the opinions of all team members."
If-Then plans in your online support
During your seminar appointment, you presented the If-Then plans, and your participants, with your support, created their first intention statements regarding your training content.
If you emphasize the relevance and usefulness of your content, participants will find it easier to incorporate this content into their If-Then plans. Talk to your participants about obstacles and challenges in implementing the plans (e.g., distractions, forgetting, lack of self-control after a long day). People who take on changes often fail because they cannot concretely answer the following questions:
What do I want?
Why do I want this?
How do I do this?
What do I do if I don’t succeed once?
A week after the seminar, you send your participants a reminder. What could such a reminder look like? It could be a simple quiz query: "How well have you been able to implement your If-Then plans this week?" Your participants, for example, respond on a scale from (1) "not at all" to (5) "everything achieved".
Your participants can provide you with direct feedback on the last week with a free-text response. An example question could be: "What challenges did you face? Write me a few bullet points." You can address these challenges anonymously in the next seminar session.
You can address your group with an audio message and repeat the most important points regarding your content and provide suggestions for If-Then plans. Who has paid attention to their If-Then plans? Who has implemented and adjusted their If-Then plans? Who is already succeeding with the ongoing use? It's even better if your participants can also see you again and not just hear your voice.
Incorporate an If-Then plan into your videos
Preparation: Take out your smartphone, mount it on a tripod, or build yourself a stand. To achieve good lighting for the video, film the recordings best right in front of a large window. Your video should be between two and three minutes long.
I suggest the following structure for your video:
Greet your participants (20 seconds)
Briefly introduce your topic (40-60 seconds)
What specific behavior do you want to motivate your participants to adopt? The plans should be created by your participants themselves. You can support them with an example. Offer a concrete "If-Then formula". (40-60 seconds)
At the end of the video, remind your participants that they can ask you questions or leave comments. (20 seconds)
That’s it, your video is ready. In the blinkit App, you create a new video link in your course. In a few seconds, the video is uploaded. Add an engaging title and choose when the video reaches your participants (immediately, in ... days, or on a specific date).
How do you use If-Then plans? Feel free to leave us a comment.
