# Triggers 2016 - Marshall Goldsmith

## PART ONE: WHY DON'T WE BECOME THE PERSON WE WANT TO BE?

### ***CHAPTER I) The Immutable Truths of Behavioral Change:***

Truth #1) "Meaningful behavioral change is very hard."

Questions:
A) What do you want to change in your life?
B) How long has this been on?
C) How's that working out?

Problems:
A) We can't admit that we need to change.
B) We do not appreciate inertia's power over us.
C)We don't know how to execute a change.

Ex.: Marshall Goldsmith couldn't admit that he was bald, under the sway of inertia
(of the routine to take care of the hair), but he knew how to change.

RELYING ON OTHER PEOPLE INCREASES THE DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY (OF BEHAVIORAL CHANGE)
EXPONENTIALLY.

YOU HAVE TO GET SOME BUY-IN FROM YOUR PARTNER OR CO-WORKERS TO BECOME A BETTER
PARTNER AT HOME OR MANAGER.

CHANGE YOUR BEHAVIOR WHEN YOU'RE AMONG PEOPLE THAT YOU RESPECT AND LOVE. THEY ARE
THE TARGET AUDIENCE.

Truth #2: "No one can make us change unless we truly want to change."

"Some people say they want to change, but they don't really mean it".

Ex.: Arrogance of Harry to be the smartest person in the room, knowing everything
possible to speak, costed his work as CEO.

***CHAPTER II) Belief Triggers That Stop Behavioral Change in Its Tracks:***

Ex.: Resistance to change sugar consumption in NY when Michael Bloomberg (mayor

from 2001 to 2013) tried to ban sugary soft drinks in greater quantities than 16
ounces (when the normal was 32).

IT'S MORE EASIER, AND MORE FUN, TO ATTACK THE STRATEGY OF THE PERSON WHO'S TRYING
TO HELP THAN TO TRY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.

*Triggers:*

1) *"If I Understand, I Will Do"*

Trigger of the Confusion caused by not knowing the difference od understanding and
doing

2) *"I have the willpower and won't give in to temptation"*

Our environment is a magnificent willpower reduction machine.

Ex.: The Odyssey, Odysseus against Sirens.

Trigger of the Overconfidence

3) *"Today is a Special Day"*

Trigger of the self change inconsistency.

4) *"At least i'm better than..."*

Trigger of the false sense of immunity.

5) *"I shouldn't need help and structure"*

Dr. Atul Gawande in The Checklist Manifesto being questioned.

Three competence impulses:

A) Our contempt for simplicity (only complexity is worth attention)

B) Instructions and Follow-Up
C) Faith

Triggers of unappealing exceptionalism that make us lack humility

6) *I won't get tired and my enthusiasm will not fade.*

Triggers of depletion

7) *I have all the time in the world*

A) We chronically underestimate time that it takes to get everything done

B) We believe that time is open-ended and sufficiently spacious for us to get all
out self improvement goals eventually.

Triggers of Procrastination

8) *I won't get distracted and nothing unexpected will occur.*

We don't plan for low probability events because any of them is unlikely to occur

Triggers of unrealistic expectations.

9) *An epiphany will suddenly change my life*.

Triggers of Magical Thinking.

10) *My change will be permanent and i will never have to worry again.*

The Great Western Disease is "I'll be happy when..."

Even when we get there, we cannot stay there without commitment and discipline.

Triggers of false sense of permanence.

11) *My elimination of old problems will not bring on new problems.
*
Triggers of misunderstanding future challenges.

12) *My efforts will be fairly rewarded*

Triggers of resentments.
If Marshall is coaching someone who wants more money, he won't coach because:

1) No certanties to get what they want

2) If the reward is the only motivator, people revert to the old ways
3) All that he done is a phony succeed.

GETTING BETTER IS ITS OWN REWARD. IF WE CAN DO THAT, WE NEVER FEEL CHEATED.

13) *No one is paying attention to me*

Triggers of dangerous preference of isolation.

PEOPLE ALWAYS NOTICE.

14) *If i change i am "inauthentic"*

Triggers of stubbornness.

15) *I have the wisdom to acess my own behavior*

Triggers of a impaired sense of objectivity.

CHAPTER III
: IT'S THE ENVIRONMENT

Adapt to it lol

CHAPTER IV: IDENTIFYING OUR TRIGGERS

Stages of Feedback Loop

A) Evidence
B) Relevance
C) Consequence
D) Action

The enviroment has the potential to ensemble the feedback loop.

A well designed feedback loop triggers desirable behavior, our environment often
triggers bad behavior.

The question is: *What if we could control our environment so it triggered our most
desires behavior - like a elegantly designed feedback loop?
*
A BEHAVIORAL TRIGGER IS ANY STIMULUS THAT IMPACTS OUR BEHAVIOR.

Characteristics of Behavioral Triggers:

A) Direct or Indirect
B) Internal or External
C) Conscious or Inconscious
D) Anticipated or Unexpected
E) Encouraging or Discouraging
F) Productive or Counterproductive