We’ve all heard the old saying: “Knowledge is power.” It sounds inspiring. It rolls off the tongue easily in leadership speeches, training programmes, and company strategies.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: Knowledge is just… knowledge. By itself, it doesn’t change anything.

In the workplace, this is a critical thing for businesses to understand. Especially when it comes to learning and development, communications, and culture change initiatives. Because just knowing something isn’t enough to create change.

Why Knowledge Alone Doesn’t Shift Behaviour

Think about it:

– We know we should take regular breaks at work to protect our mental health, yet how often do we keep ploughing through?

– We know giving regular feedback helps teams grow, but many managers avoid it because it feels uncomfortable.

– We know back-to-back meetings are exhausting, but how many of us still accept a diary full of them?

And outside of work:

– We know smoking harms our health.

– We know getting more sleep would make us feel better.

– We know exercise boosts our mental and physical health.

Yet knowledge doesn’t always translate into action. That’s because knowing and doing are two very different things.

Understanding Behaviour Change: The COM-B Model

To truly support behaviour change at work, we need a better framework, and that’s where the COM-B model comes in.

Developed by Professor Susan Michie and colleagues at University College London, the COM-B model explains that for any behaviour to occur, three things must be present:

– Capability: Do I have the skills, knowledge, or psychological capacity to do it?

– Opportunity: Does the environment or context support me in doing it?

– Motivation: Do I want to do it enough to prioritise it?

 

Behaviour (B) is at the centre of these three interacting components. If even one of them is missing, change is unlikely.

 

How COM-B Applies to the Workplace

Let’s look at some common workplace examples:

A manager attends training on how to give better feedback, but still avoids it. They know the theory, but they feel awkward (low Motivation) and don’t have time booked in to practice (no Opportunity). Training must boost confidence (Motivation) and workplaces must create time/space/support to embed habits (Opportunity).

Staff are told about new wellbeing initiatives, but few use them. They know support exists, but the culture discourages taking breaks (low Opportunity) or they feel guilty for needing help (low Motivation). Communications must tackle stigma and make accessing support socially acceptable.

Employees attend time management workshops but continue overworking. They know how to manage time better, but workload expectations (Opportunity) and leadership modelling (Motivation) don’t align. Structural changes and leadership role-modelling are needed, not just individual strategies.

Knowledge Needs Support to Become Action

Training, awareness campaigns, and communications must be designed with behaviour change principles in mind.

It’s not enough to inform. We need to enable, motivate, and create opportunities for people to act differently.

This means:

– Building skills and confidence (Capability)

– Shaping the environment, culture, and systems (Opportunity)

– Sparking genuine commitment, reward/recognition and emotional investment (Motivation)

When we do that, knowledge becomes something much more powerful…it becomes change.

Final Thoughts: Knowledge is Knowledge. Change is Action.

It’s time to rethink how we approach learning, leadership, and organisational change.

Next time someone says “knowledge is power,” remember: Knowledge is knowledge. Behaviour is what makes the difference.

If you want your workplace initiatives to move beyond knowing into doing, we can help.

At Mindset, we specialise in applying psychological frameworks like COM-B to real workplace challenges, creating environments where people don’t just know better—they do better.

Let’s talk about how we can help you unlock real change. Get in touch today!