Leadership Micro Behaviors: Practice. Master. Automate.

 

 

 

 

 

We all have habits and behaviors we want to modify. 

Or eliminate from our day to day communication with others.

Here’s the thing: Don’t try to change too many things at once.

Too often I see leaders who’ve been given feedback by a boss about multiple things they need to improve in their communication cadence.

And then they try to make all the changes at once.

Which hardly ever works.

Change happens best in small increments.

Here’s a simple process you can follow for integrating new behaviors into your leadership approach.

It’s based on a change management theory developed by researchers at MIT who found that the most successful changes in a process are made, and mastered, one at a time.

Here you go. Your process to integrate behavior changes when influencing others:

1. Choose just one new leadership micro behavior (tactic, technique, method) that you want to integrate into your influencing process.

2. Visualize how you’d use this changed behavior with your team members and others. Visualize what their responses will be to it. Play out various scenarios in your mind to try to understand its impact.

3. Relentlessly practice the behavior before using it with a direct report. Role play it with your  peers and with your managers. Practice it with a coach who will give you feedback

4. Try out the new behavior with one employee. Test variations if you don’t get the result you wanted.

5. Use the new behavior with additional people until its use and execution becomes automatic. Which means you have mastered it.

6. Choose one more new leadership micro behavior to try and start the cycle over again. Rinse and repeat.

In short, integrate one new behavior change into your communication process at a time. Visualize it. Practice it. Master it. Make it automatic.

Then, and only then, should you add another new behavior change.

Check out two related posts: 

Keystone Habits: The Hyperlink to Elevating Your Leadership Impact.   ( 5 min read) 

Three Key Habits to Elevate Your Coaching Impact

To your greater success and fulfillment,

Peter Mclees, Leadership Coach, Trainer and Performance Consultant
SMART DEVELOPMENT

 

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Having worked with several companies throughout their growth cycle, we have valuable insights and strategies that would help any late stage startup, small or medium sized company achieve sustained growth and prosperity.