The COMP Factors of Behavior

In 2002, my second management book was published (in Dutch). Its translated title was “Professional learning – On growing together within healthy companies”. Almost two decades later, the core model that I presented in that book has not lost any of its applicability. This model is named COMP.

COMP is the acronym of the four factors that underly (human) behavior: Competency, Opportunity, Motivation, and Perception. Each factor can be compared to an internal traffic light. Only when all four lights are green, the behavior at hand will occur.

The COMP model facilitates the root cause analysis of failed behavioral change. If a satisfactory answer cannot be given to any of the questions below, the behavior will not change.

What is it about? (Perception)
Why change? (Motivation)
How to do this? (Competency)
When and where? (Opportunity)

These four COMP factors of behavior are interrelated. Any factor can trigger another. Therefore, if directly increasing one factor is rather hard, indirectly raising it through strengthening another factor might create the required leverage.

The COMP model is applicable from improving individual behavior up to altering the collective behavior of an entire organization. Do not hesitate to ask for assistance if you want to apply this in your situation.

This article on the COMP model, written on Friday 6 September 2019 by Johan Oldenkamp, is also available in Dutch.