Today we welcome Michael Bungay Stanier, the Founder of Box of Crayons. He is the author of the best-selling book The Coaching Habit, with over a million copies sold. He was a Rhodes Scholar and in 2019 was named the #1 thought leader in coaching. Michael has a masters degree in Philosophy from Oxford, a law degree and a BA with highest honors from the Australian National University. His latest book is called How to Begin. 

In this episode, I talk to Michael Bungay Stanier about how to begin. When we set goals, the most popular framework that often comes to mind is the idea of SMART goals. Instead of starting with what’s measurable, Michael urges us to start with what’s important. He shares his criteria for identifying what a worthy goal is, as well as advice on how to stay committed to that worthy goal. We also touch on the topics of coaching, empathy, change, and community.

Website: www.mbs.works

Twitter: @mbs_works

Topics

02:22 About Box of Crayons

03:20 Michael’s interest and expertise in coaching

07:15 The Coaching Habit

12:20 “SMART goals are dumb”

16:32 What is a worthy goal?

23:19 The magic is in the drafting

25:50 Before action, learn to commit

30:27 Adaptive change vs technical change

33:01 Calling in the directions

37:51 Stick with the journey

43:20 Celebrate the journey