Earlier in My EQ we touched on the topic of self - monitoring and explained how a group of obese people lost more weight than a group who were on a controlled diet, simply by keeping a record of everything they ate. Here is a link to an article and research on this topic that you may find interesting and that illustrate the powerful role that self - monitoring can play in bringing about behavior change.
In the above context, self - monitoring was used to eliminate unwanted behaviors - unhealthy eating and over - eating. Self - monitoring can be just as effective when we monitor how frequently we use productive behaviors.
In each Companion Workbook, we have provided you with a list of Target Behaviors. A Target Behavior is the behavior that has been selected for change or development. In the case of over - conscientiousness (the Personality Dimension that Alison is working on) 7 Target Behaviors have been identified:
- Look at the big picture
- Learn to compromise
- Relax standards appropriately
- Be willing to delegate
- Don’t micro – manage
- Learn to let go
- Limit time on detail
If Alison can turn these Target Behaviors into habits, she will eliminate the counterproductive behaviors associated with the Conscientious Personality Dimension. She can do this by implementing the Tiny Habits principle of making one small change and then practising it regularly and by employing self monitoring.
Please download the Target Behaviors pdf file below and print it out. Keeping a record of how often she implemented a Target Behavior per day employs the same principle which the group monitoring what it ate did. From the articles above there is strong research support to show that this an effective way of bringing about behavior change.
Looking at Alison's log, we can expect delegation to improve but not any of the other Target Behaviors. The log acts as both a cue and a reality check. Printing it out and referring to it regularly will remind or cue her to implement the Target Behaviors, and keeping a record of when she implements them will help her to track her progress. Clearly she can't expect any improvement in any area except delegation yet and this will guide her with respect to what Target Behaviors she should still be focusing on.
Keeping a log of when she implements Target Behaviors will also help her to maintain the Target Behaviors. This point was clearly demonstrated in the articles above on weight loss.
Over time, you should try to develop as many of the listed Target Behaviors as possible. We do recommend however that you select only one Target Behavior at a time and make it a habit before moving onto the next.
So why should Alison go to all this trouble to develop the above target behaviors? Do they really make a difference to organisational performance and bottom line results? Please read the following articles and form your own opinions on how much she should invest in bringing about a change in her behavior:
3 Ways Micromanagers Can Destroy A Company
Micromanagement--a costly management style
The Hidden Cost of Micromanagement
Once you have read these articles, please go to the section entitled "EQ Workout"
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Target Behaviors.pdf Size : 292.551 Kb Type : pdf |