Three methods for changing behavior

Awareness – employees receive a clear and persuasive rational about the need to wear safety glasses and hearing protection in a certain work area.

Awareness and commitment – employees receive the convincing rationale and then publicly sign a pledge card, promising to wear this PPE under specified circumstances.

Commitment and hypocrisy – employees publicly sign the pledge card and then develop a list of situations in which they should wear the PPE but don’t, such as when mowing the grass in their backyards.

The hypocrisy method works by creating internal tension that challenges personal integrity. How do you reduce this tension and restore a sense of integrity? Easy, simply change your behavior to make it consistent with your commitment.