Tactics to Ensure Durability of Behavior Change Following the Removal of an Intervention Specialist: A Review of Temporal Generality Within Organizational Behavior Management

Conard et al. (2016) read every OBM article they could find. They hunted for two things: follow-up data and plans that keep gains alive after the consultant leaves.

The team called these plans "temporal generality tactics." Examples are written cues, manager check-ins, or bonus systems that stay in place.

Lots of papers showed follow-up scores, but very few said how they made the change stick. Most studies simply hoped the numbers would stay up.

In short, OBM talks about long-term results yet rarely programs them.

Sobsey et al. (1983) saw the same gap in parent training. Both reviews say, "We measure later, but we don’t plan for later." The fields differ, the pattern is identical.

Luiselli et al. (2022) give the next step. Their eight tactics for building research-ready agencies include embedded teams and leadership buy-in. These same structures can hold behavior gains after you exit.

Brethower et al. (2022) show OBM has always cared about data. Conard’s point is that we now need data on our own exit plans, not just on the first win.

If you consult in schools, clinics, or industry, your reputation rides on what happens months after you leave. Add one temporal generality tactic to every project: a manager scorecard, a peer coaching loop, or an automatic email prompt. Write it into the contract before you start, not after the data look good.