Change From Within

by Mark McClanahan

Jack Welch once said, “Change before you have to.” As leaders, we’re constantly helping our team adapt to change. We coach and coach and coach to improve the performance of our players.  We regularly ask them to change. What happens, though, when you are the player who needs to change in order to perform better?  

I’m fortunate to have some great mentors and coaches in my life. My coaches and mentors give me valuable insights into their experiences that help me perform better. Some of their advice is really challenging, which forces me to be creative in ways that effectively change my behavior.  

Changing a behavior can be as difficult as breaking a bad habit. A technique I started a few years ago to help me create new behaviors was very simple. I boiled down the recommended behavior into a single phrase or word that would remind me to improve. For instance, I had a coach tell me recently that I needed to be a better listener. It was great insight into how I could be a more effective  leader. So my simple technique was, and still is, to create a small sign that I carry around with me to remind me of the behavior I’m trying to change. In this case, I typed out the word “Listen” in a large font and printed it on a piece of paper. I carried this around with me to every meeting to remind myself that I needed to listen. I did this until it became natural for me to change from within.

The simplest of solutions are sometimes the most effective, and I can tell you this simple solution has been very beneficial for me. n

Mark McClanahan (mmcclanahan@callmosby.com or 314.909.1800) is the president at Mosby Building Arts.