Micro-behaviours + AI: A smarter way to build trust, engagement and performance at scale

Insights from YakTrak and GRIST’s presentation at the Auscontact National Conference

How do you know if you trust your leader?

More importantly—how would you prove it?

It’s a tough question. Because trust isn’t built in a single conversation or a charismatic moment. It’s built through the small, consistent actions we see every day—how someone shows up, how they follow through, and how clearly they set direction.

In our work with leaders across sectors, we see a powerful pattern: when leaders are consistent, trust builds. And when leaders provide clarity, people engage, grow, and perform. The challenge is doing this at scale—and that’s where micro-behaviours and AI come in.

Why trust matters—and how it’s built

Trust isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s the foundation of performance.

When team members trust their leader, they’re more open to feedback, more motivated to improve, and more resilient in the face of change. But trust doesn’t happen through grand gestures. It’s built through day-to-day experiences that reinforce a leader’s credibility, care and consistency.

The psychology of performance

At GRIST and YakTrak, we use a simple model grounded in behavioural psychology:

Experience → Mindset → Behaviour → Results

It reflects how a team member’s daily experience shapes how they think and feel (mindset), which influences how they behave—and ultimately, the outcomes they deliver.

If someone experiences regular coaching, clear expectations, and recognition for progress, their mindset becomes more confident and accountable. That shows up in better customer conversations, stronger follow-through, and improved performance.

But the opposite is also true. When expectations are vague, inconsistent, or unsupported, people feel unsure or stuck—and performance suffers.

Most goals fail the clarity test

When GRIST & YakTrak studied over 18,000 goals, we:

• Only 50.3% were specific (clearly defined what needed to be achieved)

• Just 34.1% were measurable (included a way to track progress)

• Only 47.1% focused on a behaviour that could be seen, heard, or coached (based on actions that can be seen and repeated)

Without clear, behavioural goals, leaders can’t coach effectively—and team members don’t know what success looks like.

From metrics to momentum: Coaching to behaviours, not just numbers

Take AHT (Average Handle Time). Most goals around it sound like this:

“Reduce AHT from 263 to 220”

That’s a metric, not a behaviour.

Instead, when we coach to micro-behaviours—clear, observable actions—we unlock both confidence and performance. For example:

• “On 10 calls today, I’ll introduce the process clearly to reduce my AHT to 820”

• “On 5 calls this morning, I’ll ask at least 2 relevant clarifying questions to reduce my AHT to 220”

These goals are specific, measurable, and coachable. They give team members clarity and help leaders know what to support. That’s how small shifts build big momentum.

What are micro-behaviours?

At GRIST, we define micro-behaviours using four criteria. They must be:

• Observable – You can see or hear them.

• Repeatable – Not a one-off; they can be practised.

• 100% in the person’s control – No reliance on systems or others.

• Predictive of performance – Clear link to outcomes like AHT, CSAT or sales.

They turn vague ambitions into precise actions—creating clarity for people, and insight for leaders.

How AI fits in: Clarity improves AI performance too

AI tools are only as good as what you train them to look for.

In our recent work combining YakTrak’s coaching platform with GRIST’s micro-behavioural framework, we tested a key question:

Can the same clarity that helps people perform also make AI smarter?

We found the answer is yes.

When you train Gen AI with micro-behaviours—like YakTrak’s ACDC coaching framework—it can assess coaching conversations with far greater accuracy. It identifies which behaviours are present, what’s missing, and how to improve impact. That’s not just possible in YakTrak—these same principles can be applied with any Gen AI tool.

Practical ways to use Gen AI with micro-behaviours

Whether you use YakTrak or not, here are ways leaders can combine AI and micro-behaviours:

• Assess coaching quality: Train Gen AI to spot clarity gaps and coaching patterns

• Provide real-time feedback: Help leaders see the next step in a behavioural coaching flow

• Summarise coaching history: Quickly scan past sessions and surface trends

• Review goal quality: Automatically assess whether goals meet behavioural standards

• Design learning journeys: Build capability plans based on micro-behavioural needs

The bottom line: Clarity builds trust. AI scales it.

If you want to improve performance, start with clarity.

Define success in behavioural terms. Coach it consistently. Let AI help you scale it.

That’s how we unlock capability.
That’s how we build trust.
And that’s how we lead with impact.

Looking to improve coaching quality at scale? We can help you define what good looks like, track coaching behaviours, and build stronger rhythms — all grounded in what actually works.