February, 2006 |
 |
| This message is being sent to you because you either signed up via the Activate Potential website or you are a contact of David Facer. If you do not want to receive these educational emails in the future, please unsubscribe. |
|
 New Behavior Now - Where the Leverage Is I spent the morning with Marshall Goldsmith, the legendary executive coach. The American Management Association dubbed him one of the 50 great thinkers who have impacted the field of management in the past 80 years. He earns $200,000 per engagement. Not too shabby, eh? He imparted one BIG lesson I am eager to share with you: ♦ “I can’t help you make money. I can help you change behavior, if you want to change.” There is simple brilliance in Marshall’s idea. No coach can help you make money. Coaches help people make decisions and act in ways that lead to success. Great coaches also help motivated clients stop behaving in ways that hinder progress. Simple, right? It is simple. It’s just not easy. Why? Because most clients ask for help with goals, like making money, not behavior change. And, behavior change is where the leverage is. We are hypnotized by goals. Pop thinking says all we need is a big hairy audacious goal and all will be great. Break it down into tasks and execute the tasks. But, that approach doesn’t talk about how we will behave while doing the tasks. Will we be demanding, selfish and arrogant? Will we be appreciative listeners, in service to people and encouragingly impatient? We really need a dual focus – an intrinsically motivating goal and a decision to behave only in ways that lead to success – for everyone involved. I’m talking about behavior. Set a BIG goal, only act in ways that will lead to success. Simple, right? Well, here is where most clients resist; too many successful people don’t want to stop doing what is INeffective. And, they don’t always know what IS effective. Why? Because they draw their now behaviors from the well of past successes; they do what worked in the past. Thanks for the Memories – Sort of The thinking goes: ♦ I succeeded in the past, ♦ I behaved that way in the past, ♦ Therefore, that behavior led to my success. ♦ And then they say…I will continue to act that way. Can you hear the deep booming sound in the background? But, executives don’t hire me to help them do what they have always done. Yet, in spite of wanting new results, many rely on old behavioral strategies to create them. Old ways are great if the now situation is precisely like the then situation. Is that usually true? Is the present exactly like the past? If our new situations are different from our past situations, why do we dredge up old behaviors for right now? And if not, why then are you using old behaviors? And, why am I here again? "The reason is that many successful people are delusional!" Goldsmith says. We think the correlation between past behavior and past success is true. We think past behavior is the best predictor of now success. Oftentimes, these correlations are flawed. The fact is many successful people achieved success because of strengths and in spite of weaknesses. “I’ve always juggled a thousand balls and kicked butt.” But now too many balls are on the ground. “I love work. I love achievement.” But now your family resents your fixation on work. “I’ve always been forceful and direct.” But now your team is unmotivated and your relationships are strained. “I’ve never had a business plan before and always done well.” But, you never had people who needed a strong idea of where the company is going. Now they are unfocused and business is slow. So, what to do? If past success was created on behavior that worked, and the now situation is different, what should you do now? That’s simple; change your behavior. Make New Behavior a Goal If you want different results, you need more than different goals, you need different behavior. Maybe behavior change should be one of your goals. But, how do you know what now behaviors to use and past behaviors to change? Well, hire me for help! And, ask the people around you. Take a survey. Ask them what they want more of from you, and what they want less of from you. Good decisions need good information. So, start collecting information. What do you want more of from me, as your manager/director/leader? What do you want less of from me? Stick to those two questions. There are more thorough ways to get this information that require outside help. These two questions will be a great start. What do you want more of from me? What do you want less of from me? How to Get FeedForward Let me give you one more tool. According to Goldsmith, when you ask these two questions, here’s what to do next. ♦ “Sit there, ♦ Shut up, ♦ Take notes, ♦ Say thank you.” Do not rebut. Do not jump in. Don’t say anything but thank you. ♦ Sit there, ♦ Shut up, ♦ Take notes, ♦ Say thank you. Don’t make promises to do everything on the list. Don’t say you can’t do everything on the list. This is not the time for a new strategy. Sit there, shut up, take notes and say thank you. You will be amazed at the reception. Some people may be skeptical, because, my guess is, you haven’t asked for information about how you are to people. Doesn’t matter. To change ineffective behaviors you need to know which ones to change. This is a good way to get useful information. Strong Bookend Statements You may want to preface your two simple questions with a statement about why you are asking. Try something like: “I am working on being the best manager (or leader) I can be. I want to make the best contributions to your success, my success and the success of our team. Will you help me? (Most people say yes.) Thank you. I have two simple questions. Answer in any way you want. I am going to sit here, shut up, take notes and say thank you.” After they are done with their answers, say “Thank you.” Tell them you will use this information to make improvements. For now, that is plenty. Final Thought Notice I did not use the word feedback. The reason is we are not looking back the past to decide how to act now. Feedback focuses attention on what happened – which has its place. But, not here and now. When you ask your two simple questions – What do you want more of from me? What do you want less of from me? – be sure to let them know you are focusing on the here and now and the future. The two questions are focused on what is needed now. After all, your BIG now goals need effective behaviors now. back to top |
