📈 Behavioural Compounding

Some weeks ago, I was writing about the compound effect and how little changes can make a huge difference over time. Click here to read the article. 

Today, I want to cover another, deeper aspect of the compounding effect: behavioural compounding. 

The thing is this: all substantial improvements of any situation come from basically two angles. Either something from the outside works in your favour, or you and your team changes things from the inside.

To rely on the former is quite a risky strategy (as things can also get worse instead of better). Hence, the only reliable strategy to improve any given situation comes from inside. And this means, in most cases, changing decisions and actions which are driven by beliefs and values. 

The consequence: to sustainably change our decisions and actions, we need to change our beliefs which materialise in our daily behaviours.

I know it sounds a bit too much when you hear it the first time, but let me tell you this: this sequence is key. We need to change some of our beliefs and behaviours prior to changing results. 

Here comes the challenge: the effects of belief changes only impact our behaviour very slowly, sometimes over months and years. And even worse: the changing behaviours translate only slowly into changed results. 

But here is the good news: belief and behavioural changes compound over time. The visible changes start very slowly, but can grow into a change tsunami after some months or years. This is what I see repeatedly with my coaching clients. 

Now, what can you do to accelerate the process and get results faster? Here are three ideas: 

1. Start early. Realise that most substantial improvements require changes of beliefs of at least some people in your team. Too many managers try for too long to “fix” the actions or decisions of people, then wonder why they always fall back into old patterns. Become aware of their beliefs (and your own) and start questioning them.
2. Be tough. Addressing changes of beliefs is tough because essentially they are your “survival system”. Your beliefs brought you to where you are today. Nobody changes them lightly, but change is exactly what’s needed. You’ll virtually always need a coach for this process.
3. Don’t give up. Stay the course even if results are not even on the horizon. This is again a reason why an external coach is absolute key. Left alone, only very few of us are able to see what’s behind the horizon and have the strength to move toward these targets. There is a reason why the best coaches in the world almost always have coaches themselves. Think about it.

➡️ Do you want to get to new success levels with your team? Then get a coach to support the needed changes of beliefs and behaviours. Click here to enrol in my coaching program.