Source | holdsworthcenter.org | The Holdsworth Center
Behavior change is difficult, whether it’s in the workplace or at home. But you only need two things to be successful, according to executive coach Marshall Goldsmith:
- You have to care.
- You have to do the work.
In a recent learning session for principals in The Holdsworth Center’s Campus Leadership Program, Marshall doled out wisdom gleaned from decades as a world-renowned leadership coach who’s worked with CEOs of some of the world’s biggest corporations.
Marshall Goldsmith pioneered the concept of stakeholder centered coaching – often called 360 degree feedback – a model in which the person receiving coaching seeks input from those who are affected by the person’s behavior. It starts with asking the question, “How can I be a better spouse/boss/coworker/friend?” and urges frequent follow-up to make sure others are seeing a change.
“If you are going to get better at anything, you have to care,” Marshall says. “Everybody has something they can improve. Work on what you feel in your heart will help you get better.”
8 steps to behavior change
Marshall Goldsmith lays out eight steps that have produced great results for clients who sincerely wanted to change.
- Ask – We all have blind spots. Ask those closest to you – your “stakeholders” – how you can get better. What you learn might surprise you. In many cases, this can just be a conversation. In the workplace, getting honest responses may require an anonymous survey.
