Want to be successful? Have a positive behaviour

If they don't care, don't waste your time," he stressed. "If you don't care, don't waste your time: Dr Marshall Goldsmith.

The Right Selection Speaker Bureau invited Dr Marshall Goldsmith, a world authority in helping successful leaders achieve positive, lasting change in behaviour, for a workshop.

The seminar focused primarily on leadership and employee engagement, with Dr Goldsmith sharing his proven process for leadership development, coaching and team building that is backed by award-winning research involving over 86,000 respondents.

Dr Goldsmith, who is the author or editor of 34 books that have sold over two million copies, highlighted the challenges that come with success in leadership and demonstrated how to use "what to stop" in coaching. He stressed that the most important factor for successful change is the client, not the coach.

"If they don't care, don't waste your time," he stressed. "If you don't care, don't waste your time.
"Participants also got a chance to practice feedforward - a positive, focused tool for learning that has been effectively implemented around the world.

Dr Goldsmith highlighted the exercise which involved letting go of the past and listening to suggestions without judging. The exercise also involves learning as much as you can and helping as much as you can.

Dr Goldsmith told participants that when developing yourself as a leader and partner, it is important to "ask, listen, think, thank, respond, involve, change, and follow-up". He encouraged participants not to speak when they are angry or out of control, and to frequently thank the people they work with.

"Ask for ideas for the future - not more feedback about the past. Promise to listen and think - not to do everything that people suggest," he said.

Speaking on the keys to successful behavioural change, Dr Goldsmith noted that it is always better to set a clear goal, write down the goal, and publicly state that goal. In addition, it is important to involve a support group to help you to achieve that goal. The only time that behavioral coaching is not going to work is when the person in question doesn't want to change. Also, he stressed that a person should never coach on integrity or ethics violations.

Dr Goldsmith also noted that good coaching called for determining key stakeholders to be part of the change process. In addition, he also noted that, during coaching, if a person were to dredge up the past, then that will only demotivate the group.

"Don't be sarcastic or cynical because it hurts that process. Always tell the truth, and always involve both parties, since it is a two way improvement," he said. "Why is it that we don't become the people we want to be?" Dr Goldsmith asked participants during the seminar.

The key to understanding this is, he explained, is to take triggers into account. "A trigger is any stimulus that may impact our behaviour," he explained. "Make peace with the fact that things are always going to be crazy. One of the classic delusions is telling yourself that, I don't need help or structure to achieve my goals. Get in the habit of telling yourself that, I need help and that it is okay."

/KT