A summary of Marshall Goldsmith's book. Discussing habits and how to change or to start new habits and behaviors. The skills taught in the book is useful to overcome bad habits or to start good habits.

1. All text and illustrations Copyright © 2015 Marshall Goldsmith. Do not copy.
Triggers
Sparking positive change and make it last
Marshall Goldsmith
Book summary by Stephen Siregar

2. All text and illustrations Copyright © 2015 Marshall Goldsmith. Do not copy.
Marshall Goldsmith
• PhD from UCLA
• Executive coach
• Worked with 150 CEOs
• Author of 35 books
• Harvard Business Review #1
Thinker in Leadership
• AMA 50 Great Thinkers
• marshallgoldsmithlibrary.com

3. All text and illustrations Copyright © 2015 Marshall Goldsmith. Do not copy.
The Immutable Truth of
Behavior Change #1
Meaningful behavioral change is very hard.
We can’t admit that we need to change.
We do not appreciate inertia’s power over us.
We don’t know how to execute a change.

4. All text and illustrations Copyright © 2015 Marshall Goldsmith. Do not copy.
The Immutable Truth of
Behavior Change #2
No one can make us change unless
we truly want to change.

5. All text and illustrations Copyright © 2015 Marshall Goldsmith. Do not copy.
What is a Trigger?
Any stimulus that impacts our behavior.

6. All text and illustrations Copyright © 2015 Marshall Goldsmith. Do not copy.
Belief Triggers That Stop
Change
1. If I understand, I will do.
2. I have willpower.
3. Today is a special day.
4. At least I’m better than __.
5. I shouldn’t need help and
structure.
6. I won’t get tired.
7. I have all the time in the
world.
8. I won’t get distracted.
9. An epiphany will suddenly
change my life.
10. Change will be permanent.
11. Eliminating old problems
won’t bring new problems.
12. My effort will be rewarded.
13. No one pays attention.
14. Change means inauthentic.
15. I can assess my own
behavior.

7. All text and illustrations Copyright © 2015 Marshall Goldsmith. Do not copy.
Environment
Factors

8. All text and illustrations Copyright © 2015 Marshall Goldsmith. Do not copy.
What is a Trigger?
Any stimulus that impacts our behavior.
Direct or Indirect
Internal or External
Conscious or Unconscious
Anticipated or Unexpected
Encouraging or Discouraging
Productive or Counter-Productive

9. All text and illustrations Copyright © 2015 Marshall Goldsmith. Do not copy.
What We Want vs
What We Need
Encouraging
Discouraging
Counter-
Productive
Productive
Praise
Recognition
Admiration
Money
Punishment
Rules
Discipline
Fear
Pain
Temptation
Distraction
Pleasure
Isolation
Disrespect
Ostracism
Peer-Pressure

10. All text and illustrations Copyright © 2015 Marshall Goldsmith. Do not copy.
How Trigger Works
Behavior
ConsequenceAntecedent
Routine
RewardCue
Duhigg, Charles. (2012) The power of habit: why
we do what we do in life and business. New
York: Random House.

11. All text and illustrations Copyright © 2015 Marshall Goldsmith. Do not copy.
BehaviorTrigger
Trigger-Behavior
Eye Blink Moments
Impulse Awareness Choice
Antecedent
Cue
Routine

12. All text and illustrations Copyright © 2015 Marshall Goldsmith. Do not copy.
The Wheel of Change
+
-KEEP
CHANGE
Creating
Accepting
Preserving Eliminating

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The Right Structure
A set of actions to follow once a trigger is activated.
Checklist
Procedures
Principles
Feedback Loop

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Feedback Loop
Evidence
Relevance
Conse-
quence
Action

15. All text and illustrations Copyright © 2015 Marshall Goldsmith. Do not copy.
Planner Self vs Doer Self
Planner is the part of one’s self that make plans, Doer is the executor. The Doer is not the
Planner. To ensure Doer is doing what the Planner wants, one needs a Coach.
Planner Doer
Coach

16. All text and illustrations Copyright © 2015 Marshall Goldsmith. Do not copy.
Coaching the Doer:
Active Daily Questions
Did I do my best to…
Set Clear Goals?
Make Progress Toward Goal Achievement?
Be Happy?
Be Healthy?
Love my Family?

17. All text and illustrations Copyright © 2015 Marshall Goldsmith. Do not copy.
Daily Questions Scoring:
Example
Did I do my best to: (1-10 Score) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Weekly
Average
Stick to the juice cleanse? 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10.00
Exercise today? 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.29
Advance my wine knowledge? 2 3 0 0 0 1 4 1.00
Stay in touch with my friends and family? 8 5 6 4 6 3 3 5.00
Learn something new at work? 3 2 2 6 7 10 0 4.28
Do something nice for someone outside
work?
5 10 10 4 4 6 5 6.28

18. All text and illustrations Copyright © 2015 Marshall Goldsmith. Do not copy.
To Summarize
• Understand triggers and the behaviors they produce
• Determine what you will Create, Eliminate, Accept or
Preserve
• Define new behavior for each trigger
• Create a structure
• Ask daily active questions and report the answers

19. All text and illustrations Copyright © 2015 Marshall Goldsmith. Do not copy.
Stephen Siregar
stephensiregar.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/stephensiregar