Who owns behaviour change after handover?

Lauren Kelly

If you have a Product Owner or Service Owner,
you need a Behaviour Owner too.

You wouldn’t launch a product without a Product Owner.
You wouldn’t run a service without a Service Owner.
So why do you expect behaviour change to stick without a Behaviour Owner?

The ownership gap goes hand in hand with unrealised behaviour change projects.

Usually a behaviour specialist arrives. Maybe they are already in your team. They map your friction, designs fresh rituals, trains the room.
Applause, sign‑off, cake.
Three months later the behaviour didn't turn up and everyone asks, “Whose job is this now?”

Habit failure often starts with ownership confusion.

Put the owner where the behaviour lives

People debate whether HR, Product or Change should take the wheel. Wrong question.
Look at where the target behaviour shows up day to day and ask, “Who do users already trust for guidance here?” That unit owns it.

Log‑ins stuck? Product.
Staff scripts ignored? Operations.
Values not lived? Culture or People team.

Ownership must feel natural to the people doing the behaviour.

Link accountability to authority

The owner (let's call them the Behaviour Owner) needs real levers, not just a title.
They must control at least three of these: incentives, prompts, processes, comms.
Without authority, stewardship is theatre.

Assign before hand‑off

Do this while the consultant is still around to coach the steward.
Give them:

KPIs: adoption rate, friction tickets, felt‑control score
Budget line: money for nudges, training or quick fixes
Decision rights: freedom to tweak rituals, screens or policies without begging every time

Write it down. Put their name on the project page.

Map the levers

Create an Ownership Map, a one‑pager that lists:

Prompt owner (who sends reminders)
Policy owner (who adjusts rules)
Training owner (who upskills newcomers)
Incentive owner (who funds rewards)

They do not have to be your behaviour owner. But the behaviour owner will have oversight over them. Everyone can see at a glance who to call when the habit wobbles. Everyone knows who to check in with to ensure behaviour change is smooth.

Track what matters

Set up a Behaviour KPI Scorecard. Keep it small:

Keep in mind

Stress‑Test Under Deadline Pressure

Scenario: Launch in 48 hours, bosses shouting for numbers.
Trap: Someone suggests hiding the opt‑out to save sign‑ups.

Counter‑move:

Pull up the ITE sheet.
Ask, “What does this do to exit friction?”
If the answer is “increases it”, veto the change. Non‑negotiable.

Deadlines change your behaviour; your principles stop them changing ethics.

Add Autonomy Protection Into Workflow

Design spec template. Add ITE and VRP sections.
QA checklist. “One‑tap opt‑out?” must be ticked before release.
Team ritual. Five‑minute autonomy review at the end of each stand‑up.

Make autonomy everyone’s job, not a last‑minute compliance tick.

Pocket Rules

Name the Behaviour Owner and announce it publicly.
Hand them levers, budget and KPIs, in writing.
Set a review drumbeat, fortnightly at minimum.
Update the Ownership Map so everyone sees who does what.
Schedule the first audit, the owner runs it with the consultant or specialist watching, then owns it alone.