Behavioral Action Plan: Coaching Your Client to Success

14 Sep, 2017 / by Christina Bowser

What’s the next step now that you’ve reviewed your client’s DISC report or Sales Competence Assessment? Start on a Behavioral Action Plan to take your client to the next level of success.

The goal of the Behavioral Action Plan is to identify and list key behaviors your client can modify to achieve their goals. It helps your client create a planned series of steps. However, the steps should not be rigid. Flexibility allows your client to better adapt and adhere to the plan.

Before Starting a Behavioral Action Plan

Behavioral Action Plan Steps Infographic

Your client must first understand and use the 4-Step Process to Effective Communication. Once they know DISC , their DISC profile, and how to identify the DISC profiles of others, they can move on to the most important step. Step 4 focuses on the need to suitably modify one’s style to improve performance and success.

The real value is for your client to use what they've learned using the assessment, reflect on what they would like to change or modify, and implement the adjusted behaviors. Once your client begins adjustments, they must continue to be aware and practice.

Starting Client’s Behavioral Action Plan

Have your client write down all goals. Keep in mind the DISC styles when creating goals. For example, C-styles and S-styles may need more time to think and review. Keep them focused on a workable plan they can put into action now. If your client can see progress right away, then they are more likely to stick to the plan.

Once your client has written down all their goals, it’s time to focus on goals that can be acted on. Determine which of the goals require them to modify behaviors. Focus on goals and behaviors. Not all goals can be reached with behavioral change. Goals requiring skills and training, can be reviewed at another time.

Focus on Behavioral Goals that Will Have the Most Impact

Behavioral Action Plan Man on Arrow

Now that you have goals based on behaviors, classify each as high, medium, and low. Focus on High Priority Goals first. Hence, your client can view the goals that are most vital to their success right now.

Which goals can be met the fastest or have the greatest impact on your client’s success right now? These goals should have the most positive impact on your client’s life and career. In addition, these goals may have the biggest negative impact if not addressed.

Your client should not have more than 3 - 5 High Impact goals at a time. The client can focus on making succinct and effective changes. Your client will also avoid being overwhelmed and even unmotivated.

Group High Impact Goals According to Types of Changes Needed

There are three areas to further group High Impact goals. The first is to highlight goals that need an overall adjustment. For example, “high” I-styles may decide to work on active listening in their team meetings.

Next, highlight goals that need a specific adjustment for certain situations. For example, let’s say your client is an S-style client. The specific goal is to increase monthly sales closings by 10%. In order to reach the goal, they may need to bring up D-style behaviors for brief moments for the sales process to move forward.

Finally, highlight goals that focus on a key person. These goals focus on adjustments your client needs to make that revolve around one key person. For example, your client’s goal is to communicate better with his manager. Be very specific on how to adjust the client’s own style to communicate with the manager, based on the manager’s style.

Determine Adjustments Needed to Achieve Goals

For each High Impact Goal, determine what exact behavioral changes(s) need to be taken to achieve the goal. Will your client need to promote or downplay their DISC style? There are times when adjustments will involve both. Be as specific as possible on actual real world adjustments that needs to happen.

Coach your client to think of adjustments they can make to achieve a goal. Remember, the S-style example from above? They want to increase their sale closing. Adjustments here may include more cold calling, asserting stronger sales style, and moving quickly while focused on closing.

The DISC Assessment and the FinxS Competence Assessment help your client to better identify and spotlight those impact goals. The reports identify both strengths and development areas.

DISC Assessment and Behavioral Action Plan: Where to Start?

Prioritize Goals

The At a Glance Page of the DISC Assessment identifies how others typically see your client’s DISC style. Use this section to address key development areas. Have your client consider the positive impact of making a change. Also, consider the key behavior change needed.

Take a look at the Comfort Areas Map. Consider what DISC style behaviors are required to achieve client’s goals. Does your client’s DISC style comfort area cover the behaviors required for the adjustments? If not, your client must use energy to focus on the change. Example: If your client feels the need to update their manager regularly on a special project, then they may need to actively increase S-style behaviors.

Additional Sections in DISC Assessment to Use

The Motivators/Reduce Your Motivation pages identify aspects that increase or decrease your client’s motivation. Are the high impact goals in line with your client’s motivators or de-motivators? Are there any changes to the goals, based on motivators and de-motivators, that would benefit your client?

The Strengths page helps your client to see and to capitalize on their natural strengths in achieving the goals. Use the natural strengths since they are always present and easier to use. Do not take strengths for granted! Working toward goals may not be easy and takes practice. It also involves pressure. Look at the Situations that Reduce Motivation page. Think about the goals where your client can manage pressure before they occur. Hence, it will make reaching goals more attainable.

Use the Behavioral Competencies section to identify key behaviors to achieve goals. Select behaviors that are relevant to your client’s present role. Now your client has a group of behaviors to add to behavioral goals. Select the ones most likely to help your client achieve success right now.

Using the Sales 18 Results with the Sales Competence Results

FinxS® Sales 18 and the FinxS® Sales Competence Assessments match a person’s DISC profile to their current skill level for 18 key sales skills. Each of the 18 key sales skills has a group of related behaviors. Clients can clearly see their own unique sales strengths and development areas.

In addition, the Sales 18 report can identify if a person is performing better than their natural style predicts or if they are not using their full potential. For example, if the person has low Prospecting scores in skills and also in their DISC Style, then you can predict a lot of energy and work ahead to develop the persons Prospecting skills. Your client may want to focus on other more attainable goals at this time.

What if your client’s prospecting skills are low, but they have a natural strength when it comes to prospecting behaviors? The gap can tell us your client should do well with prospecting, but something is holding them back.

The added information can further assist in creating a behavioral action plan and predict sales success. The action plan becomes very specific. You know where to focus your client’s energy and time.

Tips to Creating a Useful Behavioral Action Plan

Behavioral Action Plan Step To Success

Have your client keep a journal to document when they adjusted their style, what the outcome was, good or bad, and how to improve further. Identify tips that they would benefit from if they were to make conscious adjustments to their behaviors. Once you have helped your client determine the type of adjustments needed, help them come up with specific scenarios and discuss how to begin making the behavioral adjustments.

There are additional sections of the DISC and Competence assessments that can be useful. Your own expertise and experience will help you identify DISC report sections that work best for you and your clients.

Goals need to be re-evaluated as situations, priorities, and career changes. Consistent re-adjustment is key to avoid becoming stagnant. Emphasize to your client to be comfortable with who they are. Often behavioral adjustments need to only last a brief period of time. Your client does not need to focus on changing who they are, but simply on changing their behaviors appropriately.

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Topics: Blog, News

Christina Bowser

Written by Christina Bowser