Why Behavioral Analysis is a Useful Skill in Strategic Organizational Planning

Behavioral analysis involves studying how people behave in different situations and contexts. When applied to employees in an organization, it helps uncover motivations, work styles, interpersonal dynamics, and other insights.

Knowing what makes employees tick is invaluable for strategic planning. It allows executives and managers to make more informed decisions about structuring teams, designing jobs, implementing policies, and leading the organization.

Some key employee behaviors to analyze include:

• Work habits – Is the employee methodical, creative, conforming, rebellious, etc.? What work styles produce the best results?
• Motivations – Is the employee driven by achievement, status, money, altruism? What incentives elicit peak performance?
• Relationships – How does the employee interact with co-workers, managers, and clients? Are they a team player or a lone wolf?
• Attitudes – Is the employee optimistic, cynical, passive, driven? How do their attitudes impact performance?
• Decision-making – How does the employee make decisions? Are they cautious, impulsive, analytical, intuitive?
• Stress response – How does the employee respond to deadlines, conflicts, heavy workloads? Do they thrive or crack under pressure?

With deep insight into these and other behaviors, leaders can tailor roles, incentives, teams, and culture to optimize organizational performance.

Structuring Effective Teams

One key application of behavioral analysis learned via an applied behavior analysis degree is optimizing team structure. Building teams of complementary behavioral styles and motivations enhances collaboration and productivity.

For example, detail-oriented employees can be paired with big-picture thinkers. Driven, Type A personalities can propel more laidback teammates. Altruistic team players can promote cohesion among individualistic superstars.

However, behavioral diversity can also lead to interpersonal conflicts on teams. Managers will need to watch for and mediate any tensions that arise from contrasting personalities and work styles. With care and intention, though, heterogeneous teams outperform homogenous ones.

Behavioral analysis also factors into hiring decisions. Leaders should consider team dynamics when choosing new members. Candidates whose attributes fill gaps and balance a team become strategic hires.

Designing Motivating Jobs

Another application is structuring jobs and incentives to motivate employees. The right fit between responsibilities and behavioral preferences boosts satisfaction and drive.

For instance, creative types will thrive when given freedom to innovate. Data-driven analysts prefer working with hard numbers over people. Extroverts need social engagement, while introverts want quiet focus.

Tailoring job design and rewards to appeal to employee behaviors is an impactful retention and engagement strategy. Of course, duties cannot always align perfectly with preferences. But understanding inclinations helps optimize motivation.

Leading and Managing

Finally, behavioral insights help leaders adapt their own styles to influence employees. Since people respond differently to various management techniques, versatility is essential.

Commanding, data-driven leaders may excel with analytical subordinates but should collaborate more with relationship-oriented ones. Likewise, warm, empathetic managers often reach emotions-driven employees better than task-focused peers would.

Leadership agility – being able to flex behaviors to motivate, influence, communicate with diverse employees – is a hallmark of people-savvy managers. And people-skills are even more important in leadership than technical expertise.

Behavioral analysis gives organizations immense strategic advantages in planning. Understanding employee motivations, work styles, attitudes and interpersonal dynamics is invaluable for structuring successful teams, designing optimal jobs, and leading in adaptable, influential ways. The human dimension is key.