Increased revenue, better collaboration, less stress, or greater job satisfaction. These are recognizable ambitions for organizations and professionals. We often have a reasonably good idea of ​​the results we want to achieve. Yet, the path to get there proves to be less straightforward.
When results lag behind, we are quick to look at what is happening around us. The market is unfavorable, customers are more critical, collaboration is difficult, or someone is not taking sufficient responsibility. All are factors that can influence what ultimately happens. At the same time, there is another question that is at least as interesting:
Which behavior contributes to the result you get today?
That question calls for a different perspective. It involves insight into what happens in daily practice. It is precisely there that behavioral patterns emerge that support results or, conversely, can hinder them.
Why do we look at circumstances so quickly?
When things don't go the way we want, it is logical to look at the circumstances. After all, they are visible and often easy to explain.
For example, an account manager might indicate that customers focus primarily on price. A manager might observe that employees take little initiative. And a team might state that collaboration is difficult due to high work pressure.
There may certainly be truth in that. At the same time, an important part of the story sometimes remains out of sight: our own behavior.
The way an account manager conducts a conversation, for example, influences how much room a customer is given to explore their needs. The way a manager responds to questions from employees can determine how much responsibility employees take themselves.
Behavior always arises in interaction with circumstances. At the same time, behavior influences how those circumstances play out.
What does a result actually tell us?
A result is often the visible end of a series of choices and behaviors.
Take responsibility. When an employee approaches their manager with a problem and the manager solves it immediately every time, it seems efficient in the short term. At the same time, however, a pattern emerges. The employee learns that the answer lies at the top and that it is logical to knock again next time.
We see the same thing in commercial conversations. An account manager who quickly presents solutions may come across as knowledgeable and helpful. At the same time, there may be too little room left to truly explore what is important to the client. The solution then becomes the starting point, whereas the perceived value can actually arise from good questions and a better understanding of the problem.
In both situations, the result changes when there is a change in behavior. That makes behavior interesting: it is often more concretely influenceable than the result itself.
Why, then, is behavioral change so difficult?
After all, most people know perfectly well what behavior would be desirable. A manager, for example, knows that he needs to encourage employees to think more. An account manager knows that good questions are important. And a professional might know that a difficult conversation is better held than avoided.
Knowing is different from doing. Under pressure, we easily fall back on behavior that feels familiar. We take over the problem because it seems faster. We give advice again because we want to help the customer. Or we avoid a difficult conversation because it keeps things calmer in the short term.
Therefore, behavioral change begins with recognizing what you actually do. Subsequently, space is created to consciously make different choices.
Why does change begin with looking?
Behavior has often become so commonplace that we hardly notice it anymore. That is precisely why it can help to look at it consciously. Questions that help with this are:
- When does this behavior develop?
- What does the behavior yield?
- What need does it fulfill?
- How do others react to it?
- What result does this produce?
Making behavior concrete creates space to work with it. Investigating the effect of the behavior helps in this process.
A practical way to look at that is:
- See what you do. Make the behavior concrete and observable.
- Investigate the effect. What effect does your behavior have on the other person?
- Choose consciously. What other behavior aligns better with the desired result?
- Practice with it. New behavior only becomes second nature when you repeat it in practice.
That sounds simple. It is precisely consciously going through these steps that can reveal a great deal.
What are the results of different behavior?
A change in behavior often has a broader effect than the original goal. A manager who is less quick to offer solutions can give employees more ownership. An account manager who investigates more and is less quick to make assumptions can achieve better conversations and a clearer view of the client. And a professional who brings up a difficult subject sooner can prevent irritations from building up.
It is therefore about more than revenue, productivity, or efficiency. Different behavior can lead to more responsibility, clearer communication, better collaboration, and more room to actually solve problems.
These are concrete effects. They determine to a significant extent how people work together and, consequently, which results become possible.
Looking at things differently as a starting point for growth
Anyone who wants to change behavior does not have to overhaul everything immediately. Often, it starts with something much smaller: taking a closer look at what is already happening.
- Which patterns repeat themselves?
- What is your role in that?
- What does the other person do next?
- And what result arises from that?
This way of looking requires honesty and curiosity. The goal is to understand which behavior contributes to the current situation and where there is room to try something different. In doing so, the focus shifts from solely the desired result to the path to get there.
What can a conversation about behavior yield?
Many issues surrounding sales, leadership, collaboration, and personal effectiveness ultimately turn out to be traceable to behavioral patterns that are visible daily, often without people being aware of them.
Paul Claessens helps professionals, teams, and organizations make these patterns visible and translate them into concrete behavioral change. Through training, coaching, and assessments, he investigates which behaviors contribute to the current result and what development is needed to achieve different results.
Curious about which behavior influences an issue within your team, organization, or personal development? Then the first step often begins with a good conversation. This is frequently where the insights emerge that later make the difference in practice.
