Coaching practices for Behavior Model Troubleshooting

Describe almost anything you are working through and IX Coach finds the practices whose real-world fit is closest. For Behavior Model Troubleshooting, these are the strongest matches in the current practice library.

Does this sound like the set of challenges you might be facing?

• I keep failing at the same thing and I’ve decided I’m just lazy or weak
• I keep hitting obstacles I didn’t see coming and each one feels like proof I’m failing, when really I just don’t fully understand how this is supposed to work yet
• I reach for the same go-to fix for every change
• In my head it goes straight from something setting me off to me doing the thing, like one instant jump with nothing in between
• I’ve thrown so much at this change and it still won’t stick, and I honestly can’t tell whether the real problem is that I don’t want it enough, don’t know how, or my whole setup makes it impossible

Practices that may help

1. Diagnose which element — motivation, ability, or prompt — is the bottleneck
   When a behavior isn’t happening, ask: Is the person motivated enough? Can they do it? Are they being prompted?
   The Fogg Behavior Model, Made Practical
2. Build psychological capability through knowledge and practice
   Acquire the understanding and self-regulatory skill the behavior demands before expecting consistent performance.
   The COM-B Model and Behavior Change Wheel
3. The Fogg Behavior Model, Made Practical
   BJ Fogg’s model states that behavior happens when three elements converge at the same moment: sufficient motivation, sufficient ability, and a prompt. If a behavior isn’t happening, one of these three is the bottleneck — and diagnosing which one tells you exactly what to change. The model is practitioner-developed with strong theoretical grounding; large-scale RCT evidence is limited but the framework is widely used in product design and behavior change programs.
4. Match your intervention type to the COM-B gap
   Use the Behavior Change Wheel to select the intervention approach that fits the diagnosed gap — not your default.
   The COM-B Model and Behavior Change Wheel
5. Map every link in the chain — thoughts, feelings, urges, actions
   Walk from the prompting event to the problem behavior one step at a time, naming each link explicitly.
   Behavioral Chain Analysis: The DBT Method for Understanding Problem Behaviors
6. The COM-B Model and Behavior Change Wheel
   COM-B (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behavior) is a diagnostic framework developed by Michie and colleagues that maps the three conditions any behavior requires: you must be able to do it, have the opportunity to do it, and want to do it. Research supporting COM-B as a systematic intervention framework is largely expert-consensus and observational rather than RCT; its main value is stopping you from applying the wrong lever.
7. Diagnose before you prescribe with COM-B
   Before picking a strategy, identify which of Capability, Opportunity, or Motivation is the bottleneck.
   The COM-B Model and Behavior Change Wheel
8. Behavioral Chain Analysis: The DBT Method for Understanding Problem Behaviors
   Behavioral chain analysis (BCA), a core DBT skill developed by Marsha Linehan, maps every link in the chain of events — from the original vulnerability through the triggering event, thoughts, feelings, and actions — that led to a problem behavior. By making the chain visible, BCA reveals multiple points where the sequence could have been broken, turning a post-hoc autopsy into a concrete prevention plan.
9. Understand the action line — the threshold where behavior fires
   Every behavior has a required minimum of motivation × ability; staying above that action line is the design goal.
   The Fogg Behavior Model, Made Practical
10. Install feedback loops to track behavior and adjust
    Measure the behavior directly and use the data to update your intervention, not just your motivation.
    The COM-B Model and Behavior Change Wheel

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