Ideas to develop your Behaviours

Personal development is about more than attending a face to face training course.
The 70:20:10 learning model says that roughly 70% of learning at work takes place on the job, 20% through
learning from others/individual learning, and just 10% through face to face interventions.
On the job
On-the-job learning can be experiential learning where the individual engages in a learning cycle where they plan,
apply and reflect on their learning on the job. Alternatively, it can be formal learning while working that involves instruction
or demonstration of how to do a job or skill.
Learning from others/individual learning
This can include coaching, mentoring and networking actively progressed by the individual. It also includes self directed learning
like reading a book, conducting research or taking an on-line course. On-line learning is accessible to all staff in the British
Council through the Learning and Development Portal.
When creating a development plan you should ensure you have a mix of activity types.
The attached table offers ideas for activities to develop your Behaviours though learning from others/individual learning
which is the 20% element of the 70:20:10 learning model.
Remember that you must then plan, apply and reflect on your learning and build it into your everyday working experience
the 70% of the 70:20:10 learning model.
The development ideas are listed against different types of activity as follows:
-

measure success
conduct research
check out assumptions and understanding
give and receive feedback
work with others
analyse your approach
prepare for greatest impact
get to know others/build relationships and networks
get involved in other activities

For information on available on-line learning linked to the Behaviours see

http://learning-development.britishcouncil.org/login/index.php within the British Council Behaviours pages.

Activities to develop your Behaviours

Measure success

Acti
vitie
s to
deve
lop
your
Beh
avio
urs

Creating shared
purpose

Connecting
with others

Working
together

Being
Accountabl
e

Plan for
success and
make roles
and
responsibilities
clear.
Hold yourself
and others
accountable
for their
individual
contributions.
Set personal
targets and
measure your
success.
Develop
means of
measuring
progress in
meeting goals
and achieving
end results

Making it
happen

Shaping the
future

Celebrate
success.
Set goals for
yourself and
write them
down.
Focus on
results rather
than activity.

Activities to develop your Behaviours

Conduct research

Acti
vitie
s to
deve
lop
your
Beh
avio
urs

Creating shared
purpose

Working
together

Being
Accountabl
e

Making it
happen

Shaping the
future

Make a habit of reading

business publications and
the press. See what they
have to say about your
environment. Circulate
interesting articles to your
colleagues.

When
planning
always
include
measures for
success e.g.
quality
measures,
milestones &
deadlines.

Get details of the

British Councils
strategy. Conduct a
brainstorm to
identify trends in the
area or market,
which might impact
upon the
organisations ability
to realise its
strategy. Identify 3
or 4 key trends and
think about their
impact upon your
job.

Identify through reading

and networking the main
environmental issues that
impact upon the British
Council and the way the
business operates.

Expand your
definition of
excellence.
Look outside
the
organisation
or
department
for examples
of superior
achievement.

Get to understand the

agenda of different
functions and players so
that you can build their
aims and actions into a
wider picture. Network
and ask questions.

Connecting
with others

Research
results being
achieved by
other
organisations
to stimulate a
new
understandin
g of potential
levels of

Talk frequently with

others who
understand the
direction of the
organisation;
anticipate how your
area can respond to
change as it
happens rather than
afterwards. Put
suggestions to your
manager.
Consider when you
have experienced
excellent treatment
as a customer.
Analyse what the
individual or
organisation did that
earned your
approval, and look
at how these ideas
3

Activities to develop your Behaviours

Acti
vitie
s to
deve
lop
your
Beh
avio
urs

Creating shared
purpose

Connecting
with others

Working
together

Being
Accountabl
e

Making it
happen

Shaping the
future

performance
that can be
achieved in
the British
Council.

can be incorporated
in the British Council
- suggest these to
your team or to your
manager.

Check out assumptions and

understanding

Pick a department you

have had very little contact
with. Go and talk to the
manager or supervisor to
get an understanding of
their goals and strategies
Research and read about
the customer's (partner,
stakeholder, etc) business.
Show that you understand
the issues impacting their
world
Join an external network or
local society, to help you
understand what's going
on in the local environment
or marketplace.
Ask your team
what information
Make team aims clear: do
would help them
not assume understanding.
to do their jobs
Are there any phrases,
more effectively,
symbols or analogies you
and develop a
can use to describe your
method of
vision of team success?
obtaining this on
a regular basis.
Find out exactly what
Don't act as the
negotiating partners hope
centre of
to achieve from discussion. problem solving
for your team.
Encourage

If there are big

organisational
obstacles
which make it
difficult to meet
your goals, ask
to be involved
in work to
resolve these,
rather than
accepting the
obstacles as
immovable.

Make a list of
assumptions,
written and
unwritten
rules: are
they needed?
Are they for
the benefit of
the customer
or the
Council?
Consider
what your
normal
reaction to
changes and

Discuss
opportunities to
challenge existing
ideas on service
delivery, ask your
manager to involve
you in reviews of
this.

Take part
in/lead/launch a new
product or
programme to
improve
4

Activities to develop your Behaviours

Acti
vitie
s to
deve
lop
your
Beh
avio
urs

Creating shared
purpose

Connecting
with others

group
participation by
referring
problems to
appropriate
team members.

Working
together

Being
Accountabl
e

Making it
happen

Shaping the
future

new policies
is.

performance that
involves resource
investment and
challenges.

Review how
you adapt to
changing
technology.
Does the
need to adapt
to unfamiliar
systems
make you
uneasy and
result in
resistance?
Write a list of
occasions
where you
have shown
flexibility and
ask someone
you trust to
comment on
areas where
more could
have been
done.
Ensure you
know exactly
what is
expected of
you and what
excellent
performance
looks like.

Activities to develop your Behaviours

Receive & give feedback

Acti
vitie
s to
deve
lop
your
Beh
avio
urs

Creating shared
purpose

Connecting
with others

Ask for
feedback to
identify your
own
development
needs

Working
together

Be aware of your
body language and
style, in order to
reflect greater
confidence.

Being
Accountabl
e

Make a point
of spending
some time
considering
the
interactions of
others.
Observe them
in action and
give practical,
constructive
feedback
about what
went well and
less well.

Making it
happen

Consider how
often you
explore less
comfortable
approaches.
Ask your
manager for
their opinion
on this too.
Draw up a list
of areas in
which you will
seek to
improve.
Agree these
with your
manager and
arrange to
review
progress
regularly.
Ask your
manager and
team for
feedback on
what you
could have
done
differently or
how you
could
improve
performance.

Shaping the
future

Consider the
objectives of your
customers and
review where you
have displayed
flexibility to meet
their needs. Was
there more you
could have done?
Discuss this with
others.

Activities to develop your Behaviours

Acti
vitie
s to
deve
lop
your
Beh
avio
urs

Creating shared
purpose

Connecting
with others

Working
together

Get help in
analysing your
strengths and
weaknesses in this
area, and seek
development
opportunities with
managerial
support. What
works well? What
doesnt work well?

Being
Accountabl
e

As a manager
or supervisor,
schedule
regular
meetings to
discuss
individual
development
plans. Discuss
ways in which
the colleague
might improve,
and the
specific
behaviours
that will
contribute to
this.
Seek feedback
from your
manager and
others to
identify
occasions
when you
become
distracted from
goals, or give
up too easily.
Consider the
reasons for
your behaviour
in order to
address the
full causes

Making it
happen

Ask for
feedback on
proposed
objectives to
see if they
are
sufficiently
challenging.

Shaping the
future

Interview a manager
to understand the
big issues facing the
British Council as a
whole. Review your
teams strategy for
addressing these
issues.

Observe someone
with strong
analytical skills: how
do they collect
information and
make decisions?
Ask for their input
when you face a
problem.

Activities to develop your Behaviours

Acti
vitie
s to
deve
lop
your
Beh
avio
urs

Creating shared
purpose

Connecting
with others

Working
together

Being
Accountabl
e

Making it
happen

Shaping the
future

Work with others

Ask your manager

to help you identify
areas where your
ideas can be of use
beyond your
immediate work unit.
Draw up an action
plan to
communicate your
ideas. Ask your
manager to give
feedback on your
plan.
Find ways to
coach others.
Offer to act as a
coach before
and after
particularly
demanding
events. Help
them to plan or
rehearse
beforehand,
then debrief
them
afterwards.
Treat mistakes
or poor
performance of
a colleague as
an opportunity
to problemsolve together.
Ask how can I
help?

Be prepared to put
your own needs
and goals on one
side from time to
time to offer a
colleague support
in their work.

Try not to
dominate in team
discussions.
Encourage other
quieter members
to join in and
express their
views.

Set targets
and measure
success of the
team.
When you spot a
good idea, dont sit
on it, think it through
and share it with
others.

Ask a trusted
colleague to
tell you when
you make
excuses!

Be positive.
Avoid saying
'I can't'

Be prepared to sell
your idea by
presenting the
logical basis for it.
Have an open mind
to consider
alternatives and
options which may
be more
appropriate.

Activities to develop your Behaviours

Acti
vitie
s to
deve
lop
your
Beh
avio
urs

Creating shared
purpose

Connecting
with others

When
delegating, or
handing work
over to others,
ask for
questions,
suggestions,
reactions, needs
or problems.

Analyse your approach

Tell people you

expect them to
excel and do
their best.
Congratulate
them when you
see that they
have improved.
Understand
your preferred
management
approaches.
Analyse where
these come
from and how
you can adapt
new styles to
suit different
situations and
people.

Working
together

Being
Accountabl
e

Dont sit on
problems. Refer
them to your peers
and ask for advice.
Actively seek help
when you need it;
show colleagues
that you value
them by asking for
assistance.
Think about the
impact and
implications for the
rest of the team if
you are going to
be away from the
workplace.
Acknowledge
colleagues who
cover for you in
your absence.
Write down
your current
monitoring
procedures
and ask
colleagues to
give you
feedback.

Making it
happen

Shaping the
future

Brainstorm
potential
solutions to
obstacles,
with others

Be willing to
integrate the ideas
of others when
business conditions
change. Recognise
the power that
comes from listening
to and adapting the
ideas of others.

Seek help
from others
or try a
different
approach
rather than
give up

Give others a pat

on the back when
they suggest
innovations.

Always push
beyond your
initial target
or task to
achieve
more.

Prioritise your goals

according to the
following criteria:
- Importance to the
organisations
strategic objectives,
or country/ work unit
plan.
- Realism or
achievability during
the next 1-3 years.
- challenge,
innovation and
reasonable risk

Activities to develop your Behaviours

Acti
vitie
s to
deve
lop
your
Beh
avio
urs

Creating shared
purpose

Connecting
with others

With your team

consider ways
in which
relationships
with particular
customer
groups may be
improved. Get
at underlying
issues.

Working
together

Being
Accountabl
e

Making it
happen

Write your own

personal
statement of
the results to
which you are
committed.

Learn about
risk
assessment.

Think back to
a time when
you made a
commitment
but failed to
fulfil it. Look
closely at why
that happened.
What you
could have
done
differently?
Incorporate
this into your
future task or
project
planning.

Are there
things going
on in other
organisations
that could be
advantageou
s to the
Council?

Shaping the
future

Analyse the
details of past
budgets for
your area;
compare
projections
against actual
figures and
look for
trends that
will have an
impact on
your
10

Activities to develop your Behaviours

Acti
vitie
s to
deve
lop
your
Beh
avio
urs

Creating shared
purpose

Connecting
with others

Working
together

Being
Accountabl
e

Making it
happen

Shaping the
future

Prepare for greatest impact

forecasts;
use this
information to
help you
identify a goal
that is
challenging,
yet
attainable.
Identify the 35 key cost
and revenue
areas that will
make or
break your
financial
goals and are
likely to
impact on
operations.
Rehearse
important
conversations or
presentations
before the
event.
Anticipate views
and goals to
help you
become more
fluent and
assertive.
Ask yourself
what the most
effective way of
influencing key
decisionmakers in your
environment will
be. Plan to

Improve
commitment to
team meetings
by asking the
team to put
forward
matters to be
discussed.
Record team
input and act
on

11

Activities to develop your Behaviours

Acti
vitie
s to
deve
lop
your
Beh
avio
urs

Creating shared
purpose

Connecting
with others

Working
together

Being
Accountabl
e

Making it
happen

Shaping the
future

adapt your style

and approach to
these.
When entering
new
environments,
research the
cultural and
social influences
which must be
understood to
communicate
and operate
effectively.
Identify a leader
in the Council
(or outside it)
who has
motivated or
inspired you.
Analyse aspects
of their
behaviour that
generate
enthusiasm and
commitment.
Plan to use
these
communication
techniques
yourself and
adapt to your
own style. Seek
their input and
mentoring if
possible.

12

Activities to develop your Behaviours

Acti
vitie
s to
deve
lop
your
Beh
avio
urs

Creating shared
purpose

Connecting
with others

Working
together

Being
Accountabl
e

Making it
happen

Shaping the
future

Before meetings
take time to look
at what you will
be comfortable
with and areas
of discomfort.
Plan ways you
can intervene,
even though
you feel less
comfortable,
and talk this
through to gain
the help of your
manager.
Ask your
manager or
colleague for
feedback when
he or she is at a
meeting or
presentation in
which you
contribute. Ask
him or her to
point out
strengths and
areas for
development in
the way you
behave in these
situations.
Practice using
different styles
and approaches
with others.
Adjust the
language and
the environment
to see how they
13

Activities to develop your Behaviours

Acti
vitie
s to
deve
lop
your
Beh
avio
urs

Creating shared
purpose

Connecting
with others

Working
together

Being
Accountabl
e

Making it
happen

Shaping the
future

Get to know others/build relationships

and networks

react. Note
when different
approaches
work well in
certain
situations and
with certain
individuals.
Learn to
communicate
clearly and
precisely prepare an
outline and
format before
producing a
written or oral
communication.
Focus on the
messages you
want to convey not descriptions
or tasks.

Respect others
differences.
See them as an
opportunity to
create a richer
solution to a
problem.

Recognise the
value of other
team members
contributions.
Do not assume

Look for
opportunities to
involve colleagues
in your activities,
especially in areas
where you believe
they can contribute
or where there
may be a learning
opportunity.
Discuss this with
your manager.
Develop a good
understanding of
how your work fits
into the bigger
picture. Develop
14

Activities to develop your Behaviours

Acti
vitie
s to
deve
lop
your
Beh
avio
urs

Creating shared
purpose

Connecting
with others

Working
together

that unfamiliar
approaches are
inferior to your
own.

working
relationships with
people outside
your functional
area and ask these
people for their
input on your
projects.

Dont assume
that your
previous
behavioural
patterns will
automatically be
suitable in new
departments or
areas
Get to know
people you work
with. Build
relationships by
talking
informally about
their interests
and concerns
(with
consideration
for local
culture). Make
a mental note of
what activities
capture their
interest.
Make time for
informal
conversations.
Show an
interest in
others.

Being
Accountabl
e

Making it
happen

Shaping the
future

Show an interest in
the projects of
other groups

Look for
opportunities to
discuss work going
on within your
group with
representatives
from other key
departments

Start each day by

calling one person
in your network
that you haven't
spoken to in the
last six weeks.
15

Activities to develop your Behaviours

Acti
vitie
s to
deve
lop
your
Beh
avio
urs

Creating shared
purpose

Connecting
with others

Working
together

Before taking
any action, think
through the
effects it will
have on key
relationships,
ask others for
their opinions.

Explore ways that

your work is
related to other
work groups

Being
Accountabl
e

Making it
happen

Shaping the
future

Join a crossfunctional
change
management
project team.

Take part
in/lead/launch a new
product or
programme to
improve
performance that
involves significant
challenges.

Get involved in other activities

Offer
ideas/resources
that would
contribute to other
projects.
Ask your manager to
consider or recommend
your participation in
committees or working
groups where you will have
the opportunity to examine
wider issues.
Ask your manager if you
can develop a strategy

Spend a day in
another team or
department to gain
a different
perspective.
Identify key people
and teams across
the Council with
whom it is
essential that you
co-operate. Make
contact with them
and set up
discussions about
how you or your
team can work
more effectively
together.

Offer to set up or
contribute to a task force to
examine emerging
business issues and their
implications for the British
Council. Set yourself a
16

Activities to develop your Behaviours

Acti
vitie
s to
deve
lop
your
Beh
avio
urs

Creating shared
purpose

Connecting
with others

Working
together

Being
Accountabl
e

Making it
happen

Shaping the
future

goal.

Join union or staff

association or working
parties to get a broader
view of issues
Take part in/lead/launch
meetings/events to
undertake detailed
consideration of complex
challenges faced by your
team or the British Council

17