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Marshall Goldsmith, an executive coach, believes that as you progress in your career, your problems are more likely to be behavioral. He identifies 20 common habits that hold people back, such as winning too much, passing judgment, and speaking when angry. Goldsmith suggests that instead of trying to overhaul your personality, you can start by simply eliminating negative behaviors. By identifying which of the 20 habits you may have and working to eliminate them, you can improve your personal and professional life.
Marshall Goldsmith in his book, ‘What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There’, states that his work as an Executive Coach has shown him that the higher you go, the more likely it is that your problems will be behavioural in nature. It is all a matter of becoming aware of what habits we are using which we need to stop and then working on stopping the habit. He quotes Peter Drucker as saying:’ “we spend a lot of time teaching leaders what to do. We don’t spend enough time teaching leaders what to stop. Half the leaders I have met don’t need to learn what to do. They need to learn what to stop.” That is the funny thing about stopping some behaviour. It gets no attention, but it can be as crucial as a combination of everything else we do.
In the workplace, there is no system for honouring the avoidance of a bad decision or the cessation of bad behaviour. Goldsmith uses the example of someone who is perhaps not seen as a nice person and would like to change that perception. He decides he needs to be nicer. What do we do to be nicer? For some people it is daunting; requiring a long list of positive actions, such as complimenting people, saying please and thank you, listening to people and treating them with verbal respect, etc. Marshall however says that this is like requiring a complete personality makeover and is closer to a religious conversion rather than on-the-job improvement. He goes on to state that fortunately there is a simpler way to achieve the goal of being nicer. All you have to do is to stop being a jerk. It doesn’t require much. You don’t have to think of a new way to be nicer to people, all you have to do is nothing, just stop being a jerk. Given the choice between becoming a nicer person and ceasing to be a jerk, which do you think is easier to do?
Marshall identifies the most annoying interpersonal issues in the workplace in the form of 20 habits. He challenges you to identify which of these habits you tend to have yourself so that you can begin working on eliminating them.
Extracted from the book: What Got You Here Won’t Get You There. By Marshall Goldsmith, Profile Books ltd, 2009 eISBN 978-1-84765-131-0
As an Executive Coach, I agree with the points raised by Marshall Goldsmith. During coaching and mentoring Executives over the years, it has become clear that behavioural change is the most needed. The focus of coaching is therefore on the identification of what needs to change and then working together to change.
Take some time to identify which of the 20 habits you are guilty of using and work at eliminating those habits which could potentially be hampering you in the workplace and in your personal life.
Stewart has 30+ years of experience and success in helping individuals, executives and teams uncover their inner power and move forward confidently towards their life’s purpose, Stewart’s comfortable, encouraging and confidential coaching style will help you overcome your challenges and achieve your goals to live the life you deserve.
