Marty Traynor is vice president ofvoluntary benefits at Mutual of Omaha.

Last month, we considered some principles of behavioraleconomics as they apply to enrollment. This month,let's consider techniques to help influence employee behavior.

The book “Influencer,” by Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, DavidMaxfield, Ron McMillen and Al Switzer, provides a framework foraffecting change through multiple sources of influence. The processbegins with key questions, then analyzing responses to thosequestions in a framework that helps focus decisions for theindividual being influenced.

For voluntary enrollment, what behaviors will drive enrollment results? What will driveparticipation? What will you do to influence results? What will youdo to help employees become more engaged? To track this, considerthe following sources, where you may find triggers that will influenceothers:

• How can you posit participation as “doing the right thing” forempoyees and their loved ones?
• Can you increase the ability of employees to participate bymaking the process more logical to them?
• How can the social behavior of the employees you meet with be apositive influence on members of the group? Are some members of thegroup more influential than others?
• What prevents people from participating? What incentives canyou offer to encourage participation?
• Can you make the enrollment process easier for them?

“Influencer” recommends considering three types of influence(personal, social and structural) through the lenses of motivationand ability. Here are examples of key questions and actions foreach.

Personal motivation: Do I enjoy it? DoI want to do it? What's in it for me? Discuss therisks employees face and their relative ability to self-insurethose risks (What if something happens and you do not haveprotection? Can you pay the bills?).

Social motivation: Do others motivateme? Do people like me need this coverage? Harness peerpressure. Get people to nod heads or raise hands in group meetingsby asking questions that get a common response. Most employees knowsomeone who has been disabled or suffered a criticalillness.

Structural motivation: Do I want to goto a meeting in the assigned location? Do I want to take thetime? Design rewards and demand accountability. Set upprize drawings to get people to attend meetings. Even inexpensivetrinkets can be an incentive.

Personal ability: Am I personally ableto act? How difficult is it to sign up? Are the required formscomplicated? Will I be guaranteed coverage? Promotehow simple it is to enroll. Stress that you are there to help. Tellpeople that late-entrant processes are much morecomplicated.

Social ability: Do others enable me toact? Can people like me afford the product? Presenttestimonials. Encourage employees to ask others that benefited fromthe product to share their story.

Structural ability: Do I have theinformation I need? Do I have time to meet? Is the locationconvenient? Make sure all the enrollment material isavailable. Change the environment. Promote the location, convenienttimes and the fact that meetings are brief, educational andinteresting.

From the enroller's perspective, the focus is often on makingthe experience as easy as possible. A key aspect of this is tounderscore the connection of structural ability to personalmotivation—the progression from “it's easy for me to do this” to “Isee what's in it for me.”