1. Diagnosis first
Gilbert's Behavior Engineering Model
Why performance really lags
Use when
Someone asks for training; you suspect the environment is the problem
Environment
Information
Do people know what is expected and how they are doing?
Resources
Tools, time, processes fit for the task
Incentives
Are the right behaviours rewarded in practice?
Individual
Knowledge & skill
Can they do it? Training lives here only
Capacity
Selection, scheduling, job fit
Motives
Do their motives align with the work?
“Environment factors explain most performance gaps, and they are cheaper to fix than training.”
How to use it
The top row (environment) fixes outperform bottom-row fixes roughly 3:1 in leverage and cost. Walk a requester through all six cells before accepting a training frame; most requests dissolve into expectations, feedback, or incentive problems.
Card details
- Model type
- Grid
- Origin status
- Established
- Content last reviewed
- 28 July 2026
Origin
EstablishedThomas F. Gilbert, Human Competence, 1978.