Coaching for Behavioral Change By: Marshall Goldsmith My mission is to help successful leaders achieve positive, long-term, measurable

change in behavior: for themselves, their people and their teams. When the steps in the coaching process described below are followed, leaders almost always positive behavioral change not as udged by themselves, but as udged by pre-selected, !ey sta!eholders. "his process has been used around the world with great success - by both e#ternal coaches and internal coaches1. Our Pay for Results Executive Coaching Process Our coaching net or! "Marshall Goldsmith Grou#$ #rovides coaches for leaders from around the orld% &ll of the coaches in our net or! use the same #roven #rocess% &t the 'eginning of our coaching relationshi#( e get an agreement ith our coaching clients and their managers on t o !ey varia'les: )$ hat are the !ey 'ehaviors that ill ma!e the 'iggest #ositive change in increased leadershi# effectiveness and *$ ho are the !ey sta!eholders that can determine "six to eighteen months later$ if these changes have occurred% +e then get #aid only after our coaching clients have achieved #ositive change in !ey leadershi# 'ehaviors , and 'ecome more effective leaders - as determined 'y their !ey sta!eholders% . 'elieve that many leadershi# coaches are #aid for the rong reasons% /heir income is a largely a function of 0o much do my clients li!e me1 and 0o much time did . s#end in coaching1 2either of these is a good metric for achieving a #ositive( long-term change in 'ehavior% .n terms of li!ing the coach - . have never seen a study that sho ed that clients3 love of a coach as highly correlated ith their change in 'ehavior% .n fact( if coaches 'ecome too concerned ith 'eing loved 'y their clients , they may not #rovide honest feed'ac! hen it is needed% .n terms of s#ending clients3 time , my #ersonal coaching clients3 are all executives hose decisions im#act 'illions of dollars , their time is more valua'le than mine% . try to s#end as little of their time as necessary to achieve the desired results% /he last thing they need is for me to aste their time4 5ualifying the Coaching Client: 6no ing +hen Behavioral Coaching +on3t 0el# 7ince e use a #ay only for results coaching #rocess( e have had to learn to $ualify our coaching clients% /his means that e only or! ith clients that e 'elieve ill greatly 'enefit from our coaching #rocess% +e do not or! ith leaders ho are not really motivated to change% 0ave you ever tried to change the 'ehavior of a successful adult that had no interest in changing1 0o much luc! did you have1 Pro'a'ly none4 +e only or! ith executives ho are illing to ma!e a sincere effort to change and ho 'elieve that this change ill hel# them 'ecome 'etter leaders% Our most successful coaching clients are executives ho are committed to 'eing great role models for leadershi# develo#ment and for living their com#any3s values%

For a study on the effectiveness of this process with internal coaches in GE Financial Services, see Leveraging HR: How to Develop Leaders in Real !i"e#, in Human Resources in the 21st Century, $% Effron, R% Gandossy and $% Golds"ith, eds%, &iley, '(()%
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. have #ersonally or!ed ith several of the orld3s leading CEOs% One reason that they are so effective in leading #eo#le is that they are al ays trying to im#rove themselves , not 8ust as!ing everyone else to im#rove% Our 'est coaching clients are dedicated to 'e great role models in consistently or!ing to im#rove themselves% 7ome large cor#orations rite #eo#le off% Rather than 8ust fire them( they engage in a #seudo 'ehavioral coaching #rocess that is more see! and destroy than hel# #eo#le get 'etter% +e only or! ith leaders that are seen as #otentially having a great future in the cor#oration% +e only or! ith #eo#le ho ill 'e given a fair chance 'y their management% +e do not or! ith leaders ho have 'een ritten off 'y senior management% /here are several different ty#es of coaching% +e only do 'ehavioral coaching for successful executives , not strategic coaching( life #lanning( or organi9ational change% . have the highest res#ect for the coaches that do this !ind of or!% /hat is 8ust not hat our coaches do% /herefore( e only focus on changing leadershi# 'ehavior% .f our clients have other needs( e refer them to other coaches% :inally( . ould never choose to or! ith a client ho has an integrity violation% +e 'elieve that #eo#le ith integrity violations should 'e fired, not coached% +hen ill our a##roach to 'ehavioral coaching or!1 .f the issue is leadershi# 'ehavior( the coaching clients are given a fair chance and they are motivated to im#rove( the #rocess descri'ed in this article ill almost al ays or!% .f these conditions do not exist( this #rocess should not 'e used% .nvolving 6ey 7ta!eholders .n my or! as a 'ehavioral coach( . have gone through three distinct #hases% .n #hase one , . 'elieved that my clients ould 'ecome 'etter 'ecause of me. . thought that the coach as the !ey varia'le in 'ehavioral change% . as rong% +e have #u'lished research on leadershi# develo#ment that involved in#ut from over ;<(=== res#ondents'% .n our research e have learned that the !ey varia'le for successful change in leadershi# 'ehavior is not the coach( teacher or advisor% /he !ey varia'les that ill determine long-term #rogress are the leaders 'eing coached and their co- or!ers% . learned this lesson in a very hum'ling ay% /he client that . s#ent the most amount of time ith did not im#rove and . did not get #aid4 /his as a #ainful reminder to me that . as not the !ey varia'le in my clients3 im#rovement% /he client that . s#ent the least amount of time ith im#roved more than anyone . ever coached , and he as great to start ith4 0e as later recogni9ed as the CEO of the >ear in the ?nited 7tates% +hen . as!ed my @most im#roved3 client( hat . could learn a'out coaching from him( he taught me a great lesson% 0e told me that . needed to: )$ #ic! the right clients and *$ !ee# the focus of my coaching on my clients and their teams "not my o n ego and need to #rove ho smart . as$% .n #hase t o , . s#ent most of my time focusing on my coaching clients% . slo ly learned that a motivated( hard- or!ing client as more im#ortant than a 'rilliant coach4 . learned that their ongoing efforts meant more than my clever ideas% My results im#roved4
Leadership is a *ontact Sport+, H% $organ and $% Golds"ith in Strategy+Business, Fall '((, -re.pu/lished in Fall '(0( as one of nine outstanding articles in the history of the 1ournal2%
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.n #hase three " here . am no $ , . s#end most of my time not ith my coaching client 'ut ith the !ey sta!eholders around my client% . focus on hel#ing my clients learn from everyone around them% By ma!ing this change( my clients3 results have im#roved even more dramatically )% 0o do . involve !ey sta!eholders1 . as! them to hel# the #erson that . am coaching in four critically im#ortant ays: 02 %et go of the past% +hen e continually 'ring u# the #ast( e demorali9e the #eo#le ho are trying to change% +hatever ha##ened in the #ast - ha##ened in the #ast% .t cannot 'e changed% By focusing on a future that can im#rove "as o##osed to a #ast that cannot im#rove$( the !ey sta!eholders can hel# my clients achieve #ositive change% "+e call this #rocess feedforward, instead of feed'ac!,$% *$ Be helpful and supportive, not cynical, sarcastic or udgmental % &s #art of our coaching #rocess( my clients involve !ey co- or!ers and as! them for hel#% .f my clients reach out to !ey sta!eholders and feel #unished for trying to im#rove( they ill generally Auit trying% . don3t 'lame them4 +hy should any of us or! hard to 'uild relationshi#s ith #eo#le ho on3t give us a chance1 .f my clients3 co- or!ers are hel#ful and su##ortive( my clients3 ex#erience increased motivation and are much more li!ely to im#rove% B$ "ell the truth% . do not ant to or! ith a client( have him or her get a glo ing re#ort from !ey sta!eholders( and later hear that one of the sta!eholders said( 0e didn3t really get 'etter( e 8ust said that% /his is not fair to my client( to the com#any or to me%

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&ic! something to improve yourself % My clients are very o#en ith !ey sta!eholders a'out hat they are going to change% &s #art of our #rocess( our clients as! for ongoing suggestions% . also as! the sta!eholders to #ic! something to im#rove and to as! my client for suggestions% /his ma!es the entire #rocess t o- ay instead of one ay% .t hel#s the sta!eholders act as fello travelers ho are trying to im#rove( not 8udges ho are #ointing their fingers at my client% .t also greatly ex#ands the value gained 'y the cor#oration in the entire #rocess 3% .n one of my most successful case studies( . as as!ed to coach one to# executive , and a'out *== #eo#le ended u# im#roving%

7te#s in the Ceadershi# Coaching Process /he follo ing ste#s descri'e the 'asics of our 'ehavioral coaching #rocess% Every coach in our net or! has to agree to im#lement the follo ing ste#s% .f the coach ill follo these 'asic ste#s( our clients almost al ays achieve #ositive change4

!his process is e4plained in "ore detail in Recruiting Supportive *oaches: 5 6ey to 5chieving 7ositive 8ehavioral *hange+ in The Many Facets of Leadership, $% Golds"ith, 9% Govindara1an, 8% 6aye and 5% 9icere, eds%, F! 7rentice Hall, '(()% D !ry Feedforward, instead of Feed/ac:+ originally pu/lished in Leader to Leader, ummer 2!!2" E For a great description of the i"pact of co.wor:ers# focusing on their own i"prove"ent, read E4panding the 9alue of *oaching: fro" the Leader to the !ea" to the ;rgani<ation+ in The #rt and $ractice of Leadership Coaching, H% $organ, 7% Har:ins and $% Golds"ith, eds%, &iley, '((,%
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)$ 'nvolve the leaders being coached in determining the desired behavior in their leadership roles. Ceaders cannot 'e ex#ected to change 'ehavior if they don3t have a clear understanding of hat desired 'ehavior loo!s li!e% /he #eo#le that e coach "in agreement ith their managers( if they are not the CEO$ or! ith us to determine desired leadershi# 'ehavior% *$ 'nvolve the leaders being coached in determining !ey sta!eholders. 2ot only do clients need to 'e clear on desired 'ehaviors( they need to 'e clear "again in agreement ith their managers( if they are not the CEO$ on !ey sta!eholders% /here are t o ma8or reasons hy #eo#le deny the validity of feed'ac! - rong items or rong raters% By having our clients and their managers agree on the desired 'ehaviors and !ey sta!eholders in advance( e hel# ensure their 'uy in to the #rocess% B$ Collect feedbac!. .n my coaching #ractice( e #ersonally intervie all !ey sta!eholders to get confidential feed'ac! for our clients% /he #eo#le ho . am coaching are all CEOs or #otential CEOs( and the com#any is ma!ing a real investment in their develo#ment% /his more involved level of feed'ac! is 8ustified% 0o ever( at lo er levels in the organi9ation "that are more #rice sensitive$( traditional B<= feed'ac! can or! very ell% .n either case( feed'ac! is critical% .t is im#ossi'le to get evaluated on changed 'ehavior if there is not agreement on hat 'ehavior needs to 'e changed4 D$ (each agreement on !ey behaviors for change. &s . have 'ecome more ex#erienced( my a##roach has 'ecome sim#ler and more focused% . generally recommend #ic!ing only )-B !ey areas for 'ehavioral change ith each client% /his hel#s ensure maximum attention to the most im#ortant 'ehavior% My clients and their managers "unless my client is the CEO$ agree u#on the desired 'ehavior for change% /his ensures that . on3t s#end a year or!ing ith my clients and have their managers determine that e have or!ed on changing the rong 'ehavior4 E$ )ave the coaching clients respond to !ey sta!eholders. /he #erson 'eing revie ed should tal! ith each !ey sta!eholder and collect additional feed forward suggestions on ho to im#rove on the !ey areas targeted for im#rovement% .n res#onding( the #erson 'eing coached should !ee# the conversation #ositive( sim#le( and focused% +hen mista!es have 'een made in the #ast( it is generally a good idea to a#ologi9e and as! for hel# in changing in the future% . suggest that my clients listen to sta!eholder suggestions and not udge the suggestions% <$ (eview what has been learned with clients and help them develop an action plan. &s as stated earlier( my clients have to agree to the 'asic ste#s in our #rocess% On the other hand( outside of the 'asic ste#s( all of the other ideas that . share ith my clients are suggestions. . 8ust as! them to listen to my ideas in the same ay they are listening to the ideas from their !ey sta!eholders% . then as! them to come 'ac! ith a #lan of hat they ant to do% /hese #lans need to come from them( not me% &fter revie ing their #lans( . almost al ays encourage them to live u# to their o n commitments% . am much more of a facilitator than a 8udge% My 8o' is to hel# great( highly motivated( executives get 'etter at hat they 'elieve is most im#ortant , not to tell them hat to change% F$ *evelop an ongoing follow-up process. Ongoing follo -u# should 'e very efficient and focused% 5uestions li!e( Based u#on my 'ehavior last month( hat ideas do you have for me next month1 can !ee# a focus on the future% +ithin six months conduct a t o-to-six item mini-survey ith !ey sta!eholders% /hey should 'e as!ed hether the #erson has 'ecome more or less effective in the areas targeted for im#rovement% ;$ (eview results and start again. .f the #erson 'eing coached has ta!en the #rocess seriously( sta!eholders almost invaria'ly re#ort im#rovement% +e then 'uild on that success 'y re#eating the #rocess for the next )* to ); months% /his ty#e of follo -u# ill assure continued #rogress on initial goals and uncover additional areas for im#rovement% 7ta!eholders almost al ays a##reciate follo -u#% 2o one minds filling out a

focused( t o-to-six-item Auestionnaire if they see #ositive results% /he #erson 'eing coached from ongoing( targeted ste#s to im#rove #erformance%

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G$ +nd the formal coaching process when results have been achieved. Our goal is not to create a de#endency relationshi# 'et een coach and client% +hile . almost al ays !ee# in touch ith my coaching @graduates3 for the rest of their lives( e do not have an ongoing 'usiness relationshi#% /he Halue of Behavioral Coaching for Executives +hile 'ehavioral coaching is only one 'ranch in the coaching field( it is the most idely used ty#e of coaching% Most reAuests for coaching involve 'ehavioral change% +hile this #rocess can 'e very meaningful and valua'le for to# executives( it can 'e 8ust as useful for high-#otential future leaders% /hese are the #eo#le ho have great careers in front of them% .ncreasing effectiveness in leading #eo#le can have an even greater im#act if it is a *=-year #rocess( instead of a one-year #rogram% Peo#le often as!( Can executives really change their 'ehavior1 /he ans er is definitely yes% .f they didn3t change( e ould never get #aid "and e almost al ays get #aid$% &t the to# of ma8or organi9ations even a small #ositive change in 'ehavior can have a 'ig im#act% :rom an organi9ational #ers#ective( the fact that the executive is trying to change leadershi# 'ehavior "and is 'eing a role model for #ersonal develo#ment$ may 'e even more im#ortant than hat the executive is trying to change% One !ey message that . have given every CEO that . coach is /o hel# others develo# , start ith yourself% Marshall ,oldsmith is an e#ecutive educator, coach and the million-selling author of numerous boo!s including the 2e >or! /imes bestsellers, MOIO and +hat Got >ou 0ere +on3t Get >ou /here( the )arold %ongman -ward Winner for Business Boo! of the .ear. References :or a study on the effectiveness of this #rocess ith internal coaches in GE :inancial 7ervices( see Ceveraging 0R: 0o to Jevelo# Ceaders in @Real /ime3( in )uman (esources in the /0st Century, M% Effron( R% Gandossy and M% Goldsmith( eds%( +iley( *==B% * Ceadershi# is a Contact 7#ort( 0% Morgan and M% Goldsmith in strategy1business, :all *==D% B /his #rocess is ex#lained in more detail in Recruiting 7u##ortive Coaches: & 6ey to &chieving Positive Behavioral Change in "he Many 2acets of %eadership, M% Goldsmith( H% Govindara8an( B% 6aye and &% Hicere( eds%( :/ Prentice 0all( *==B% D /ry :eedforward, instead of :eed'ac! originally #u'lished in %eader to %eader, 3ummer /44/. E :or a great descri#tion of the im#act of co- or!ers3 focusing on their o n im#rovement( read Ex#anding the Halue of Coaching: from the Ceader to the /eam to the Organi9ation in "he -rt and &ractice of %eadership Coaching, 0% Morgan( P% 0ar!ins and M% Goldsmith( eds%( +iley( *==E%