Switch: #4 Direct the Rider and Point to the Destination

Direct the Rider and Point to the Destination: People like goals. And the easier it is to “see” the goal, the quicker we get there. Knowing exactly where you’re headed gets you halfway there. So, clearly articulating the goal up front will help the Rider know where to point the Elephant. But unlike the old SMART goals (specific, measurable, actionable, relevant, timely), the authors suggest more gut-smacking goals that don’t look like accountants devised them. Rather, they should be goals that appeal both to the Rider and the Elephant simultaneously. Providing a destination that’s both rational and emotional moves both Rider and Elephant in the same direction with little friction between them. Bottom line: It’s easier to hit a bulls eye if you know where it is.

Notice: GMU Leadership Coaching Information Session Feb. 8

George Mason University’s Office of Continuing Professional Education is excited for the return of their highly praised Leadership Coaching for Organizational Performance Certificate Program. Starting February 22, this non-credit cohort program is now accepting registrations. Interested in the program? Register for our upcoming information session.

Information Session

When: February 8, 2011

Time: 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Where: Center for Innovative Technology

Herndon, VA

Room 408

RSVP: Please call Rosalynn at 703-993-2113


Fall 2010 Testimonials

"This is the best training I have ever attended! I got more than I expected and am confident that I am prepared to successfully venture into professional coaching." -John Pendola


"The team of instructors is by far the best I have experienced, and the mix and diversity of their own experience and styles further deepened the learning experience." -Maura Parda


"This program altered my life in many positive ways. The art of coaching is not just applicable in a business setting but it is profoundly helpful in life. I fully recommend this program to other students." -Jennifer Caires

Switch: #3 Direct the Rider and Script Critical Moves:

Direct the Rider and Script Critical Moves: Decision paralysis infects Riders at an alarming rate. Too many choices confuse the Rider and get him tugging the Elephant in too many directions at the same time. And in fact focusing on clearer, more defined directions, even in the short term, gets the ball rolling or the Elephant moving in a direction more quickly. Whether it’s multiple choices of gourmet jams in a store, multiple 401K plans to choose from, or too many choices at a speed-dating bar, it’s apparent that too many choices makes for less certainty, more ambiguity, and ultimately less action. “Choice no longer liberates, it debilitates. It might even be said to tyrannize” (p. 52). Simple rules like ‘change your oil every 3,000 miles’ or ‘get a dental exam every 6 months’ are the kinds of scripts that tend to move Riders forward. Consider what would happen if dental scripts looked like my cell phone contract… I’d have a complete set of dentures by now. The authors quote a study of how scripting only “We want you to play with your child for five minutes a day” changed child abusers into much better parents. Bottom line: Narrow the choices, script them, and watch the Rider do something (without resisting).