THINGS CAN BE TURNED AROUND Have you ever left a sporting event before the end of the game or competition becatise one team was getting hammered so badly that the game had become boring? And then, on the drive home, as you turned on the radio to get the final score of what you just knew was a wipe-out, you hear that the losing team is staging an amazing comeback, and one that eventually produces a squeak-by victory in the last seconds? How could momentum change so quick! Have you ever arrived at work feeling energized, positive, focused, and highly motivated—and then reflected later in the day on how rewarding those first few tasks or appointments of your day turned out to be? But then, the next day, you came to work after a rough, perhaps sleepless night, bad traffic problems, angry words with your significant other, and you glare at those in your office, thinking, All these happy people are getting on my nerves! What makes the difference? Have you ever wondered how just one negative performance can change your attitude so quickly—and conversely, how one major “score” can create many more positive vibes and even a few more social invitations than you ever thought possible? Why are people so fickle? Have you ever wondered how you can feel ineredibly cranky toward your child or significant other in one moment, and at the same time feel deep love for that person? ‘The answer to all of the questions above is this: DO-KNOW-BE.Core Concept: DO-KNOW-BE Break it down. DO. KNOW BE What you DO usually starts a cycle that triggers a deeper understanding of what you KNOW (information, ideas, attitudes, feelings), which results in a state of being (your character). This is counter to what many people believe. They think that a person has a character that is intact, and out of this, a person learns facts or produces ideas and feelings, and this “knowledge” base motivates the person's behavior. This belief, that if you know something is important and worthwhile, then you should want to doit, is one of the primary drivers of the ultimately frustrating question, “Why don’t I do what I know I should?” Study after study in behavior change show that the opposite is tne. Get somebody to DO something, and out of their doing, they will develop attitudes, ideas, and feelings. If what they do is successfull and positive, they will learn that this, DOing is good! It is beneficial, rewarding, and pleasurable. They will want to doit again . .. and again. Ifthe behavior is healthful, positive, and rewarding, the information (ideas and feelings and attitudes) they gain will compel them to create a new habit of doing, and over time, it is our habits of behavior combined with our habits of thinking/feeling that produce our character. Larry Winget, the Pitbull of Personal Development™, says, “Nothing in life gets better until you do.” agree, and think of it like this, “Nothing in your life gets better until your daily patterns do. But, when your daily patterns get better, everything gets better.” SHIFT OUT OF A KNOW-BE-DO PATTERN There are a number of organizations, and even entire industries that have bought into a KNOW-DO-BE pattern. They believe that if they can just get enough of the right information, benefits, or commands to their people, they will see behavioral changes, The messages issued are often relentless and even obnoxious. The messages are generally geared to telling others all of the nasty things that will happen if the rules are broken, the process fails, the goals are not met. And conversely, messages are given that tell all of the wonderful things that may happen if the messages are heeded. We need to get real about this. The truth is that the vast majority of people KNOW that continual absenteeism is going to result in workplace discipline and perhaps the loss of a job. ‘The vastmajority of people in our culture KNOW that smoking is bad for you, that you should buckle your seatbelt, that drugs are bad for a teenager, and that obesity can have all sorts of health consequences, none of them good. Awareness campaigns are only effective if the people being given the messages are unaware. Let me be very practical in giving an example. Let's say that your company wants its employees—including you—to have your blood drawn and tested once a year to ensure you stay healthy. Telling you that you should get your blood tested is helpful, but not the most effective thing to do. It is far more effective if a mobile blood testing van is invited to pull into the parking lot outside your office. And what is even more effective is a supervisor who asks you, “When do you want to take off to go get your blood tested . let's schedule it right now on my calendar so I know when you will be away— just like we schedule vacation time.” Such a supervisor is not approaching you from a KNOW perspective, but from a behavioral DO perspective. Making the appointment and going to the appointment are behavioral acts, not mental exercises. Overall, changing what you think—also known as “adjusting your attitude” or “expanding your information base"—does not always result in action. Action, however, DOES always change the way you think! Kelly MeGonigal, a psychologist and Stanford professor and author of a book titled The Willpower Instinct, stated that it is generally futile to try to fix our thinking by clearing up anxiety or fears before we take an active step toward doing something. Rather, we are better off to launch out and take action—in spite of and often in the face of our fears or past failures. When we lead with DO, our experience actually modifies our perspective and very often changes our level of anxiety or fear. In the DOing, we gain valuable information that is motivating. We learn more about ourselves, more about how to reach our goals, and more about HOW to act in ways that are increasingly beneficial and positive. Motivation is more of an experiential lesson than an informational one. Tm all for being a DO-KNOW-BE! One of my favorite sales trainers is Terri Sjodin, and one of my favorite quotes she has made is this: “Be a closer, not a concluder.” If you want someone to do something, don't end your message to that person with the statement, “In conelusion, I want you to think long and hard about this.” Rather, end your appointment with, “Here's my pen . . . are you ready to sign on?” Instead of, “You should get your blood tested,” a more effective approach is, “Our wellness team has set up a blood testing station in this room and at these times. What time can you go?” Core Concept: When you want people to do something, direction beats information seven days a week. NO MATTER THE TERRITORY