BSM™ — Behavioral Systems Model
The question it answers
“Why are people behaving this way?”
The human / behavioral diagnostic framework — behavior is an output of a system.
Core principle
Behavior is an output of a system.
Overview
What it is.
BSM™ (Behavioral Systems Model) is the human and behavioral diagnostic framework. Its core principle is simple: behavior is an output of a system.
Instead of asking why an employee isn't doing what they're supposed to do, BSM examines what is causing the behavior — the people, environment, information, capability, incentives, friction, feedback, consequences, and behavioral loops surrounding the person.
BSM identifies the behavioral problem before you attempt to engineer the solution. A system gap is not a people problem until the system has been examined — and most performance issues are system problems wearing a people-problem mask.
The Sequence
Each stage, in order.
A linear progression — each stage solves a different problem before the next begins.
Desired Behavior
Define the behavior the business needs.
Actual Behavior
Observe what is actually happening.
Behavioral Gap
Measure the distance between desired and actual.
System Drivers
Identify the people, information, incentives, and friction producing the gap.
Intervention
Redesign the system so the desired behavior is the easy behavior.
Measurement
Track whether the gap closed and stayed closed.
What BSM Examines
The drivers of behavior.
BSM looks at the full system surrounding a person — not just the person.
Worked Example
A 10-minute follow-up that doesn't happen
Desired behavior
Salespeople follow up with every lead within 10 minutes.
Actual behavior
The salesperson isn't doing it.
BSM doesn't conclude
It doesn't conclude the salesperson is the problem. It asks: Did they receive the lead? Did they know what to do? Was the information available? Was there a notification? Was the process clear? Was there accountability? Was there friction? Was the desired behavior actually rewarded?
Intervention
Redesign the system — routing, notifications, accountability — so the 10-minute follow-up becomes the path of least resistance.
Core Principles
How it governs.
Behavior follows the system
Change the system and the behavior follows. Blame the person and the problem returns.
Diagnose before engineering
Understand the behavioral drivers before building a process to fix them.
Make the right behavior easy
Friction and incentives should make the desired behavior the path of least resistance.
Measure the gap, not the person
Track whether the behavioral gap closed — not whether the individual tried harder.
In Practice