He Doesn't Disappoint

I love Marshall Goldmith's book "What Got You Here, Won't Get You There" and I've talked about it for years. In much the same vein, he ups the ante with this book in building on those core skills and behavior modifications.

The key to this book is being open to change. There's no point in investing your time in something you will not do. And knowing is not the same thing as doing. He is truly the best kind of coach - helping us to define our own personal goals and then helping us to change our mindset and back up our commitment to change with real skills.

This is not magic. It's simple, but not easy. I know this is another book I will listen to again multiple times and recommend to many people. We have within us what we need to love a happier and more fulfilling life on our own terms. Marshall Goldsmith is a wonderful guide to making the most out of our individual life journeys.

56 people found this helpful

I wish everyone could read this book!

I've listened to this book twice now. Probably the best book on adult behavior change I've read. After reading books like Switch, The Power of Habit and Change or Die, which were great prerequisites that shaped my mind concerning the our behavior, Mr. Goldsmith really nails the concepts associated with the impact of our environment on our habits and reactions to triggers. This book is definitely moving to the required list for my management team. Thanks, Marshall for your insights!

69 people found this helpful

Practical and ideologically sound improvement strategy

Marshall Goldsmith does a fantastic job of narrowing the gap between what we think we want and what we actually want.when we say we want something typically requires us to change from where we are now in order to do that we have to be willing to take action...daily, and even hourly action. Not the action that is the change but the action that questions the effort toward the possibility of change.

Personally gave me some clarity about why I'm not changing the areas that I want to change and why I need to focus more effectively on questioning my efforts.

18 people found this helpful

Actionable, Simple Steps for Change

Goldsmith provides a good mix of stories and statistics to help keep things moving along. The steps and guidelines her provides seen simple, but it's the doing that is difficult.

I've been doing daily questions now for several weeks and have enjoyed the changes in my mindset that it have resulted. I've also implemented weekly questions to review with my wife that hit on our family culture goals, such as reading family meals together, giving each other focus in the moment, doing fun things, etc.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book.

16 people found this helpful

More Brilliance from Marshall Goldsmith!

If you could sum up Triggers in three words, what would they be?

Clever actionable insights

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Many Aha moments from powerful perspectives. Triggers operate whether we know it or not... Goldsmith lays them on the table in a way that they become tools for personal and professional improvement.

Any additional comments?

Knowing more about what triggers our responses is empowering. Ultimately, we can improve control, create an environment to match the tasks we need to approach, and accomplish more in all we do.

15 people found this helpful

Solid Advice - Lots of Filler

Would you try another book from Marshall Goldsmith and Mark Reiter and/or Marshall Goldsmith?

Definitely. Marshall has a depth of knowledge and experience not matched by many people in the business world.

Who do you think would benefit most from listening to Triggers?

Everyone because everyone knows how to change, but sometimes we need to hear it from someone such as Marshall to give us that extra push.

Any additional comments?

The majority of info contained in this book will seem like common sense to most people. As Marshall points out in the book, this is intended. If we all know how to change, then why don't we? Sometimes we need to hear it from another person (Marshall in this case) to give us the extra push we need.

I do enjoy the content, however I think this book could have been half as long. I caught myself drifting off countless times because of all the filler between the important points. Nonetheless, if you are looking to make some changes in your life, I do recommend you listen to this book.

36 people found this helpful

Another great book by Marshall Goldsmith

I like that this book not only reinforces the messages and methods of self-improvement from his previous books, but also guides the reader to identify triggers in the environment prohibiting lasting and meaningful improvement. Marshall's narration is a bonus as well. It makes the book more personal. If you've never seen him speak in person or had a chance to speak with him directly, I highly recommend it. He's very engaging and down to earth.

10 people found this helpful

Still trying to get through this book.

Would you try another book from Marshall Goldsmith and Mark Reiter and/or Marshall Goldsmith?

Yes, but I would have to be in the mood.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

His voice just didn't grab my attention.

Any additional comments?

I listen to a lot of business and self-help books and I think this book was a victim of my listening to too many of that genre in a row. I'm hoping that in a few months I can revisit the book and its story and learn something.

4 people found this helpful

Junior-high-level basic

I'm sure when the author has one on one sessions they are worth every penny. This book though feels like he's had to reduce what is likely a great deal of knowledge to something most junior-high students would be able to re-teach. This could be admirable and interesting if the book were half so wordy.

3 people found this helpful

Active questioning to build good habits

There are already many good books available on building habits and this book doesn't offer much new except daily active questioning. For example, having a friend call you every night to ask how would you rate yourself on your efforts to achieve _____ (which are the goals you had identified for yourself). The monitoring and daily reminders from the friend keep you motivated. Since the monitoring is on your efforts (not completion of the task), there isn't the feeling that you've failed. Instead, you see the progress you've made so far.

18 people found this helpful