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Embedding Behavioural Science Capability

  • Behavioural training,
  • Capability building,
  • Culture

Cowry Consulting
March 25, 2026 - 2 min read

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How behavioural training helped Legal & General build an internal centre of excellence

The Challenge

Legal & General had recently worked with Cowry on a pilot programme applying behavioural science to improve the Life Insurance customer journey.

The pilot demonstrated the potential impact of behavioural science across customer experience and product design.

Following this success, the CX leadership team wanted to ensure these behavioural interventions could be embedded and sustained within the organisation rather than remaining a one-off project.

The challenge was:

How can behavioural science capability be built internally so teams can apply these principles independently across the business?

Embedding behavioural science in an organisation requires more than insight; it requires a shared language and practical capability across teams.

Our approach

Cowry partnered with Legal & General to develop a structured behavioural learning programme through the Cowry Academy.

The programme was designed to gradually build behavioural capability across teams, moving from foundational understanding to practical application.

Behavioural capability framework

The training programme was designed by Cowry’s Head of Academy and followed a staged development pathway.

Tiered learning structure

The Cowry Academy programme included three levels:

  1. Core training to introduce behavioural science fundamentals
  2. Expert training to develop advanced behavioural design skills
  3. Practitioner coaching to support real-world application

This approach ensured that behavioural science became a practical skill embedded within everyday work.

Behavioural insight

Our work identified several challenges that organisations face when embedding behavioural science internally.

1. Lack of Shared Language

What we observed
Teams often struggle to apply behavioural science consistently without a shared framework.

Behavioural driver
Without a common language and tools, behavioural insights remain theoretical rather than actionable.

Implication
Training must create a shared understanding of behavioural principles across teams.

2. From Insight to Application

What we observed
Many organisations understand behavioural science concepts but struggle to apply them to real business challenges.

Behavioural driver
Employees need practical examples and guided practice to translate theory into action.

Implication
Training programmes must include hands-on application and experimentation.

3. Sustaining Behavioural Change

What we observed
Behavioural initiatives often fade without ongoing reinforcement.

Behavioural driver
Long-term behavioural change requires coaching, mentoring and continued experimentation.

Implication
Capability programmes should include ongoing support and practitioner development.

The solution

Cowry delivered the Cowry Academy, a blended behavioural training programme combining digital learning, expert-led workshops and practitioner coaching.

The programme included:

  • Core eLearning – An introductory behavioural science course designed for employees with little or no psychology background. The programme introduced the fundamentals of behavioural science and how they apply to customer experience.
  • Expert training – A six-week programme combining virtual and classroom-based learning to help teams apply behavioural science to real business challenges.
  • Practitioner programme – Advanced coaching and mentoring designed to help teams run their own behavioural experiments and interventions within the organisation.

 

 

Impact:

The behavioural capability programme helped Legal & General embed behavioural science across multiple areas of the business.

Key outcomes included:

  • Increased use of behavioural science in digital products, contact centres and business communications
  • Development of internal behavioural experts able to lead new initiatives
  • Creation of a shared behavioural framework across CX and UX teams

The programme also laid the foundation for Legal & General to develop their own internal behavioural science centre of excellence.

“They’re great partners to have. The support is second to none, really invaluable.”

Reuben Gustoni
Customer Experience Fanatic, Legal & General

Why it worked

Behavioural science initiatives often struggle to scale when organisations rely on external expertise.

By building internal capability through structured training and coaching, Legal & General were able to embed behavioural thinking across their teams and apply it consistently to new customer experience challenges.

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