Introducing the POCA Model for Incremental Change 

Small steps are foundational to creating lasting change, and that’s the main idea behind my POCA Model. And each of those small steps layers on one another little by little to create new habits. POCA is an acronym for Pause, Observe, Choose, and Act, and it also has another meaning—in Spanish, poca means “small thing.”

So, let’s look at how the POCA Model for Incremental Change can help leaders in your organization overcome generational conditioning to practice conscious leadership.

Pause—Take a Moment to Step Back  

Most leaders in organizations spend too much time putting out fires and don’t have the time to slow down. An object in motion remains in motion—which means our brains tell us we have to keep going at a breakneck pace or risk falling (even further) behind.

However, change starts by making time to step out of reactionary mode. We don’t feel we have time to slow down, but changing the status quo requires doing something different.

In other words, you have to slow down to speed up. 

Consciously changing our pace makes it possible to see, think, and analyze from a new perspective—a clearer perspective.

Observe—Pay Attention to the 3Bs

The 3Bs are beliefs, body, and behaviors. In this stage, we’re exploring the facts and how we’re experiencing this situation—and the difference between perception and reality:

1. Beliefs — What do you believe? How is the way you see the world affecting my perspective about this situation?
2. Body — What does your body tell you? What kinds of physical reactions is it causing?
3. Behaviors — What are your behaviors? How are you reacting?

And remember, understanding behaviors doesn’t necessarily come naturally. Because we’ve developed them over time, they’re part of our standard operating system, running on auto-pilot.

As you’re able to start recognizing these patterns, you may notice the ladder of inference in action to shift your beliefs. Let me explain—how we see the world affects the way we experience the world. When we become aware of the differences between our perceptions and reality, we can move from being in an unconscious loop to seeing new possibilities.

This stage leads to efficiency, creativity, innovation, and breakthroughs. 

Choose—Consciously Choose to Work Towards Your Goals

To recap the steps so far—the first step is pausing in a specific situation. The second step involves taking stock of how we interact with the world around us.

Once you start seeing how your perceptions of the world might shift when you recognize the patterns, choosing a new direction that better aligns with your goals is possible.

This is where we move from our comfort zone and develop a growth mindset by revisiting the 3Bs. Based on what you observed in the Observe stage, here are some new questions to ask yourself:

1. Beliefs — Knowing the facts, how can you reframe your beliefs?
2. Body — How can you consciously shift your body? What somatic changes will you experience?
3. Behaviors — What behaviors do you want to intentionally change?

This is where you can genuinely foster conscious leadership skills in your organization because this is where leaders can become the leaders they want to be instead of their default setting.

Your choices here create intentionality to live the life you want. 

Act—Follow Through

The last stage is following through and acting on the choices. After determining the next course of action, you take it. Instead of worrying about the future, we can live in the moment and start practicing the lives we want to lead.

Keep in mind that acting is not once-and-done. It’s an ongoing commitment to continually course correct based on self-reflection.

Conscious Leadership is a Continual Choice

You probably noticed that the POCA Model is cyclical. The journey towards making conscious decisions is ongoing, and self-reflection is vital for effective leadership. The best leaders—those widely admired for holding people accountable while lifting and motivating them—understand that leadership isn’t a fixed trait but an ongoing process of perpetual growth, reassessment, and realignment.

HR leaders are uniquely qualified and positioned to help organizations shape company culture and develop conscious leaders. It starts with understanding how Generational Conditioning affects everyone in your organization and shows up in individual leadership styles. But it doesn’t stop there—it also means nurturing conscious leaders who want to do better for themselves and their teams.