Robert Kegan, Ph.D.
Are you Immune to
Business Development?
Many coaches find building their business challenging, if not
downright painful. They know what they need to do—network
enthusiastically, follow up with initial contacts, develop a
compelling website or blog—but they don’t seem to be able to
follow through consistently, if at all.
So how can you get better at business development? First, identify the root
cause of why you don’t consistently do what you know you need to. You
can do that by creating an Immunity-to-Change™ (ITC) map. We designed
this mapping process so people can see that even when we have a sincere
commitment to move in a new direction, we simultaneously and unconsciously
hold competing commitments that lead us to act inconsistently. These two
forces work in opposition with the net effect of no change.
We call this an “immune system” because we believe the mind, like the body,
has an immune system—an invisible, ceaseless dynamic that exists solely
to protect us. However, our immune system can get us in trouble when it
makes mistakes. Then it “protects” us from the very awareness we need
in order to thrive. The lever for releasing this system starts with identifying
hidden beliefs, and continues with systematically testing these and replacing
false or overly restrictive beliefs with more realistic ones.
1. Hold a learner’s mindset by being honest with and kind to yourself.
2. Find someone you trust to talk with about your various map entries.
Lisa is Co-Director of Minds At Work,
a professional services firm serving
businesses and institutions around
the world; and faculty at the Harvard
University Graduate School of Education.
She teaches in executive development
programs at Harvard University and
Notre Dame, and is regularly asked to
present her work throughout the world.
Her co-authored books, How The Way
We Talk Can Change The Way We
Work (2001), and Immunity to Change
(2009) have been published in numerous
languages. Lisa has been on the faculty
of the World Economic Forum’s Davos
Conference. Her work has been featured
in the Harvard Business Review;
The New York Times; O, The Oprah
Magazine and Fast Company.
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3. Consider a first version of your map as a draft, since sleeping on it
and letting things marinate often reveals deeper insights.
Lisa Lahey, Ed.D.
Coaching World
Here are three suggestions for creating a meaningful map for yourself:
Robert is the Meehan Professor of
Adult Learning and Professional
Development at the Harvard University
Graduate School of Education, and
co-author of Immunity to Change:
How To Overcome It And Unlock
The Potential In Yourself And Your
Organization (Harvard Business Press,
2009). His thirty years of researc [