Behavioral Design for Transformation Leaders
8 December, 2026 – Hilversum, The Netherlands
In this one-day hands-on training, you will unlock the power of behavioral change in the age of AI. Learn the foundations of behavioral and psychological science that explain why people do what they do, and how to use that understanding to design behavioral change that fits the people in front of you rather than fighting them. Learn how to analyze behavior, build change strategies that adapt to the individuals and teams you’re leading, and accelerate sustainable transformation in your own organization.
You leave with one concrete behavior change strategy experiment to run in your context within two weeks.
Any questions?
Michiel will gladly help you further with any personal or in-company needs you might have.
Michiel Zeinstra
Training Advisor
Duration
1 day
Time
09:00 – 17:00 (GMT +1:00)
Language
English
Lunch
Included
Certification
Yes
Level
Foundation
What is behavioral design and why now?
Behavioral Design is the practice of applying behavioral science and psychology to influence how people make decisions, adopt new habits, and respond to change. For transformation leaders, Behavioral Design provides evidence-based methods to reduce resistance, improve engagement, and create lasting organizational change during digital, cultural, and AI-driven transformations.
Organizations today face unprecedented levels of change driven by AI adoption, digital transformation, new operating models, and evolving customer expectations. Yet most transformation initiatives struggle not because of technology, but because people find it difficult to change established behaviors.
Behavioral Design provides transformation leaders with practical, evidence-based methods to understand why people behave the way they do and how to create conditions that make desired behaviors more likely.
Drawing on behavioral science, psychology, and organizational change principles, Behavioral Design helps leaders move beyond communication plans and mandates to create lasting adoption and measurable results.
By learning how to diagnose behavioral barriers, design effective interventions, and reinforce positive habits, leaders can accelerate transformation outcomes, improve engagement, reduce resistance, and build organizations that adapt successfully in a rapidly changing world.
Key Takeaways
01
Learn to see transformation the way people experience it and lead it accordingly
So you can create change for people not to people.
02
Diagnose behavioral blockages
Find what’s keeping current behavior in place before designing change.
03
Design lasting behavior change
Design conditions that make new behavior likely and drives positive change in your organization.
04
Built on scientific evidence
Evidence-based behavioral and psychological frameworks applied to transformation contexts in leader-language. Without buzzwords and theories.
What you’ll be able to do by the end of the day
Learning through a real case
Based on a case we are going to discover:
- The root – causes that block behavioral change & cause resistance in teams.
- How to create change flow in organizations that brings clarity, ownership and commitment.
- How behavioral change works beyond new communication plans and transformation mandates.
Who is it for?
Leaders driving transformation in their organizations, change leads, transformation directors, program leads, senior managers, and executives who own a piece of the people side of change.
It is especially useful if you’re currently navigating AI adoption, new ways of working, organizational restructuring, or a culture shift where the technical pieces are in place but behavior is the bottleneck.
No prior knowledge is required. Bring your curiosity along.
Course information
Training will consist of a healthy mix of theory, examples, and exercises
The price includes all course materials, literature, and a great lunch on each course day.
Our people and offices
Meet the trainers
Chris Baron
Meet Chris Baron, a leadership and behavioral change trainer at Xebia Academy. View his profile and training courses here.
Evelyn van Kelle
Evelyn van Kelle helps organizations align Business and IT by focusing on behavior and system-wide improvement for lasting change.
Andrea Clasquin
Meet Andrea Clasquin, a change Transformation consultant who helps organizations bridge the gap between Business and IT. View her full profile and training courses on Xebia Academy.
Tina Armasu
Tina Armaşu (PhD, University of Groningen) is a organizational transformation consultant. View Tina’s full profile and training courses on Xebia Academy.
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