Keep the Change Going

Keep the Change Going is the sustaining layer of the Rider, Elephant and Path framework. It treats change as a repeated learning process in which early movement is noticed, reinforced and converted into a durable pattern.

When to use it

• Sustain momentum after an initial action.
• Reinforce early evidence of the desired behaviour.
• Help people interpret setbacks without abandoning the change.
• Transfer ownership from a temporary initiative into routines and identity.

Origins

This method draws on behavioural shaping: reinforcing successive approximations toward a target behaviour. Change practitioners combine that logic with habit formation, social learning, identity and feedback. The idea is not that praise alone sustains change; the environment must continue to make the new behaviour possible.

What it is

Large changes are often built from partial attempts. Specific reinforcement helps people recognise which behaviour to repeat, while feedback and visible progress support confidence. As repetition increases, routines, skills, social expectations and self-understanding can reduce the effort required.

Reinforcement may be intrinsic, social or material. It should be proportionate and should not crowd out meaning, encourage gaming or reward activity that fails to create the intended outcome.

How to use it

Define the destination and leading behaviours precisely enough to recognise an approximation. Establish a baseline and observe for small examples already working.

Acknowledge progress quickly and specifically: name the behaviour, its useful effect and the next step. Remove friction, provide practice and make the desired action easier to repeat. Use peers and leaders to model it consistently.

After a setback, examine the system, capability and assumption involved. Adjust the path, preserve psychological safety and return to the next viable approximation. As behaviour stabilises, embed it in routines, measures, onboarding, decision rights and resources. Gradually reduce special reinforcement while monitoring whether the change survives.

Top practical tip

Reinforce the exact behaviour and impact you want repeated, then make the next approximation easy to see and attempt.

Top pitfall

Do not use celebration to disguise structural barriers or wait for complete success. Reinforcement works only when people also have capability, authority and a workable path.

Further reading

• Heath, C. and Heath, D. (twenty ten). Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard. Broadway Books.
• Prochaska, J.O., Norcross, J.C. and DiClemente, C.C. (nineteen ninety-four). Changing for Good. Avon Books.