ABSTRACT
If linear communication and injunctions were effective, there would be little work for executive coaches. When people are able to respond to direct suggestions for change or improvement, they do. They take feedback, make an adjustment, improve, and move on. This happy scenario, however, is rare. More often than not, people resist feedback and resent it when they get it. Even when they accept feedback, it is often true that they cannot seem to do anything useful with it. They cannot translate the feedback into effective and lasting action. These sad observations are well known to anyone in the personal change business. Humans have a hard time with change. We say we want to be different, we make New Year’s resolutions, we go on diets, and we vow to do better. People know that they would be better off if they maintained a clean desk or if they submitted their expense reports in a timely manner. They know how to exercise, and they know that they should communicate more effectively with their team. But sometimes, they just cannot get themselves to do it.
