I am a behaviourist; in other words, I have an unshakeable belief that, no matter how complicated we are, ultimately it is our behaviour (what we say and do) that has an impact. This is not to deny the influence of a whole host of other factors such as underlying thoughts, perceptions, motives, attitudes and feelings. But they are all covert, lurking unseen inside us. In just the same way that your brain, lurking inside your skull, can only have an impact through muscular activity, it is always your overt behaviour that makes a difference (for better or worse!) to the world around you.

Many people (you?) find this emphasis on behaviour rather insulting. They argue that, rather like an iceberg with only one-tenth showing above the surface, their behaviour is but a fraction of who they really are. But this misses the point. The bald truth is that it doesn’t matter who you think you are; as far as anything “out there” is concerned - you are your behaviour!

I see a number of advantages in placing more emphasis on required behaviours. First, the act of describing them helps everyone to know what is expected. This saves time, removes unhelpful ambiguity and gives people the information they need to make informed decisions about whether the behaviours that are expected of them are reasonable and in line with their value system.

Second, a behavioural approach puts the emphasis where it should be: on what it is people are required to do to perform effectively. Performance is the direct result of behaviours that people have either already acquired or can learn. Clearly, merely describing behaviours will not in itself get them to happen, but it at least sends out a clear message about the vital role behaviour has to play. Certainly, organisations that believe that simply describing the behaviours they want will, as if by magic, get them to happen are in cloud cuckoo land. A list of desirable behaviours is mere rhetoric until it is acted upon – only when the behaviours are put to use will it have an impact.

Third, a clear list of approved behaviours provides the starting point (but I readily admit, only the starting point) for all sorts of sensible actions that would either not otherwise happen, or might happen in an uncoordinated, piecemeal fashion. When behaviours are taken seriously, they infiltrate everything to do with performance management. Key process such as recruitment and selection, appraisal and coaching, training and development, and even, dare I say it, performance-related pay, are all aligned to the required behaviours. Suddenly a strategic approach to performance management is possible where required behaviours are consistently encouraged, recognised and rewarded.