Excerpt from Chapter 8 – The Science of the ABCs

To appreciate the dynamics of the culture change that CN was undertaking, it is important to understand the tools that are applied in the ongoing transformation. At the core of these tools is behavioral science, or what CN calls the ABCs.

The ABCs seek to explain the influences that cause people to take some actions and not others. The ABCs answer questions like:

• Why did he do that?
• Why did she say that?
• What caused the group’s actions?

An understanding of what drives people’s behavior is absolutely critical for creating conditions for a successful organization.

It's All about Behavior

A good analogy is how we obey traffic laws (or don’t obey them). Many of us have exceeded the speed limit on occasion. It wasn’t because we didn’t know better. We had been trained on the traffic laws, saw the speed limit signs, and knew the potential of speed to cause an accident. But it looked clear, safe, and we thought we’d get away with it, so we broke the law against speeding. Yet whenever we encounter a red traffic light, we almost certainly stop.

Why do we obey some laws and not others? The answer is consequences, and understanding how to use consequences to manage human behavior is the core of behavioral science — the science behind CN’s cultural revolution.

The ABCs of Behavior

Two decades ago, behavioral science was a fledgling in the business world, often regarded as consultant mumbo - jumbo. Some thought it too simple to be effective. Others feared that it was manipulative. But time, experience, and consistent results have refined the tools of the science. Today, it is a proven method for improving performance of organizations for the benefit of all.

The beauty of behavioral science is that it applies to any business or industry, at all levels from executive suite to front line. CN worked with CLG to adapt the science in the best manner for the railroad.

At CN, the application of behavioral science was called the ABCs. Today you hear people refer to the ABCs in CN ’s rail yards and corporate offices. The term ABCs comes from the ABC model on which behavioral science is built.

The ABC model shows the relationship of antecedents, behaviors, and consequences— hence the name, ABCs. The model shows that antecedents trigger your behavior, and the resulting consequences that you experience influence whether you repeat that behavior. This applies to every single behavior, every day. (See Figure 8.1.)

The CLG consulting team conducted training on the ABCs across the organization. One of this book’s authors, Judy Johnson, was one of the coaches.

When training the ABCs, Judy often used this classic example: You are hungry, which is the antecedent that triggers your behavior of trying a new restaurant. If the consequence that you experience is a great meal, you’ll repeat the behavior of going to that restaurant. (And if the consequence is a lousy meal, you won’t repeat the behavior.)

The ABCs apply to every single thing you and your employees do, no exceptions (think about it). That’s why behavioral science works.

If it sounds simple, it is — but that’s deceptive. Actually applying the ABCs takes practice, coaching, and consistent use to get the full value. That is why CN chose to partner with CLG. Their consultants’ depth in applying behavioral science to improve organizations and cultures and their 24/7 approach to coaching were exactly what CN needed.

Excerpted from SwitchPoints: Culture Change on the Fast Track to Business Success, Copyright ©2008 by The Continuous Learning Group, Inc. (CLG) Published by John Wiley & Sons. Used with permission of the publisher.