Which approach helps assess an organization's readiness to implement a behavior-change program?

• A. Focus only on financial resources and ignore cultural readiness.
• B. Start implementation immediately and adjust later based on outcomes.
• C. Evaluate leadership support, resources, existing processes, staff skills, readiness for change, and potential barriers; use surveys and interviews.
• D. Use only a one-time management interview without broader assessment.

Answer: (C)

Assessing readiness for a behavior-change program requires looking at the organization from many angles, not just dollars. The strongest approach examines leadership support, available resources, existing processes, staff skills, overall readiness for change, and potential barriers. Gathering data through surveys and interviews with leaders, managers, and frontline staff builds a clear picture of what’s already in place and what gaps need to be addressed. This prepares you to tailor plans, build buy-in, allocate the right resources, adjust workflows, and train people before you begin, which makes successful, sustained implementation more likely.

Focusing only on financial resources misses cultural and organizational factors that influence adoption. Starting implementation right away and adjusting later is risky because misaligned expectations and unaddressed barriers can derail the effort. Relying on a single management interview provides only a narrow view and misses frontline perspectives and broader realities across the organization.