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The Signal System™

Formerly known as Art of the Nudge

A practical, research-based approach to changing workplace culture.

The Signal System™ is a proven, upstream violence-prevention strategy designed to shift workplace culture towards psychological safety and belonging.

Grounded in behavioural science, The Signal System™ focuses on the small, everyday behaviours that shape culture. Through a collaborative, bottom-up process, we help teams strengthen trust, improve performance, and foster well-being.

We’ve developed practical, interactive workshops that are designed to meet a workplace’s unique needs. We work with leadership to tailor the experience to the organization’s specific setting, priorities, and goals so the interventions are relevant, actionable, and grounded in day-to-day practice.

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Why this approach?

Changing attitudes is important for preventing gender-based violence — but real prevention requires changing behaviour.

The Signal System™ is a primary prevention approach that focuses on the environments and conditions that influence human behaviour, creating workplaces where safety, belonging, and inclusion are the norm.

By equipping staff to influence team dynamics in positive ways, The Signal System™ can support stronger performance, higher engagement and retention, more respectful interactions, and healthier work environments.

How it Works

The Signal System™ applies a social norms and social network approach to spark change from the inside out.

Research shows that unspoken ‘norms’ — what people see as expected and acceptable in group settings — often guide behaviour. That’s why we work with influential staff and leaders to model prosocial behaviours through customized, interactive workshops tailored to the specific needs and realities of each workplace.

 

We implement The Signal System™ approach over 6-8 months, including by:

  1. Familiarizing ourselves with a workplace through meetings with select leaders, key informants, document review and site visits.
  2. Consulting with staff to identify their priorities for an enhanced workplace environment, and to hear their perspective on opportunities and challenges in the workplace.
  3. Identifying formal and informal influencers within departments and teams, including people in supervisory roles and/or who are liked and respected.
  4. Facilitating customized learning sessions with these influencers to build their capacity to address the priorities identified through the consultations.
  5. Facilitating leadership workshops with executives and other senior leaders, so they can support and reinforce the work of the influencers.
  6. Periodically following up with participants by email to provide further resources and supports (e.g., podcasts, videos, one-pagers, etc.).
  7. Evaluating the approach through feedback forms after each learning session, interviews, and a survey.

 

 

  1. Work with 18–25% of a network: research shows that when about a quarter of a group consistently models a new behaviour, it will spread to the rest of the network.
  2. Recruit influencers, not just allies: we work with participants who are liked and respected regardless of their beliefs, because behaviour change depends on social credibility, not ideology.
  3. Start with organizational priorities: we begin by addressing the issues participants care about, building trust before tackling more sensitive topics.
  4. Custom, not cookie-cutter: content is tailored to each workplace’s realities and culture.
  5. Frame around psychological safety and belonging: this focus engages even those who don’t see violence prevention as a priority.
  6. Minimize defensiveness: we centre curiosity, empathy, and perspective-taking, not lectures on privilege.
  7. Focus on behaviours, not attitudes: the aim is tangible change in daily actions.
  8. Bottom-up culture change: while leaders are involved, we focus on working with frontline supervisors and employees.

 

The Research

Frequently Asked Questions

 

In 2017, Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence convened the Engaging Men Learning Collaborative, a group comprised of 14 government and social service agencies. The purpose of the collaborative was to collectively develop non-programmatic approaches to engaging men in violence prevention and gender equality in settings where men work, play, learn, live, and worship.

This process culminated in the development of “The Signal System” (formerly Art of the Nudge), and the 2020 publication of Changing Contexts, a report detailing the research behind the approach.

Since 2020, we have been working with select units and districts within the Calgary Police Service (CPS) to test and advance The Signal System™ approach.

⇒ LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ENGAGING MEN LEARNING COLLABORATIVE

 

 

With funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence has been working with select units and districts for the Calgary Police Service (CPS) to implement, refine, and evaluate The Signal System™ since 2020.

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⇒ LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SIGNAL SYSTEM AND CPS

 

 

When tested with over 200 members of the Calgary Police Service, feedback from those who participated in the approach was overwhelmingly positive:

“Incredible value. […] There has been a change in [my district] that is just about palpable. Not only did our folks value the training, they actually use the tools – which, for cops, is just about unheard of.” (Inspector)

“[Gave us] more tools in the toolbox to help become better leaders.” (Sergeant)

“[I appreciated the facilitator’s] patience to redirect and focus the conversation … These are sensitive and hot button issues for us, and it is easy for us to become defensive. You just kept us moving forward.” (Sergeant)

“Well done. Not preachy. Down to earth information that can be practically put into use.” (Constable)

The vast majority of participants came away from the learning sessions with:

  1. Improved understanding of how safety and belonging impact team performance,
  2. Increased capacity to positively influence team dynamics,
  3. More aware of how discrimination shows up in the workplace,
  4. Increased capacity to disrupt problematic behaviours, and
  5. Improved capacity to provide feedback and manage conflict in ways that signal safety and belonging.

 

 

Self-reflection/self-development (e.g., checking biases and assumptions, checking for thought distortions, building resilience)

Self-regulation (e.g., managing strong reactions)

Noticing capacity (e.g., developing a safety and belonging ‘filter’ that cues you to behaviours that need to be promoted/reinforced or challenged/addressed)

Signalling prosocial norms and behaviours in everyday actions (e.g., paying attention to how you give feedback, how you receive feedback, how you manage conflict, how you talk about other people, etc.)

Disrupting harmful norms and behaviours (e.g., how to signal disapproval in ways that reduce defensiveness, backlash, and resistance)

 

Shift: The project to end domestic violence