Make a Change

I had a boss early in my career who believed it took a near-death event to change people. I bought into that too and thought that people's behavior was pretty constant.

 But there is a huge training industry selling personal change and I participated in this training and actually led a few. Looking back on all the hundreds of hours spent in training, I have to admit that I don't think any behaviors or attitudes were ever actually changed. In fact, there is overwhelming evidence that the effects of training programs are very short-lived.

 Lasting change is tough to accomplish and it takes more than a training session.

I think you need at least three elements for lasting change:

     1. The change has to be personally meaningful, deeply defined and important.

    2. You need a safe place to experiment with the change.

    3. You need an accountability partner.

Think about how exactly the change will show up. For example, if you decide you want to speak up more in meetings, what does that look like exactly?  Do you talk more, talk louder, summarize, interrupt? In what way will your behavior change?

Try out the new behavior and see how it fits. It is likely to feel a bit awkward at first, but you might an accountability partner helps you stick with the necessary practice until your new behavior becomes integrated. Like the old joke, "How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, Practice, Practice."

Therefore, If you really want to change you need a confident, accountability partner and space to explore your new behavior. This is exactly what a Professional Coach provides and I hope you will find a trained, credentialed Coach to help you when you decide you really are going to change. 

If you’re ready to explore coaching sign up for my one-hour complimentary get-acquainted session.