Introduction
This tool I’d like to present to you is one I employ with my clients every day. It’s a model derived explicitly from the field of psychology known as cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and it has been used in Neuro-Linguistic Programming. It’s known as the ABC model, and I use it to assist my clients in realizing that the root reasons behind their issues aren’t related to their surroundings, people they interact with, or external circumstances. Most often, the reason for many of the pressure and stress they feel comes directly from their thinking.
An Example
Think about the following real-life instance. John’s boss inquires what time the report was in the works to be completed. John immediately begins to feel under stress, and instead of being angry at his boss, He mutters at himself, “Why is he always doing this to me? Doesn’t he know I’m working as fast as I can? Who does he think he is? It’s not fair he always picks on me”. John is experiencing some familiar emotions which he could bundle and label stress. They could be anger, resentment, or feelings of sadness or insecurity, to mention some. If we had the opportunity to sit down and discuss the issue with John, what are the things John would say are the cause of the “negative” emotions? It’s more than likely; he’d view that his employer as being the culprit.
The Model
Let’s take it from another point of view in describing how to apply the ABC model. (The ABC model comes from the work of American psychologist Dr. Albert Ellis and is described more fully in many books about CBT.)
“A” is the acronym for “Activating Event” “A” stands for activating an event. In this case, it’s when the boss inquires John to wait until the presentation is expected to be completed, which is an appropriate request if handled appropriately.
“B” stands for belief or thought “B” stands for the ideas or beliefs that John is able to think about immediately following the request. What is the reason he keeps making me feel like this?
“C “C” is then the subsequent emotion that researchers and practitioners of CBT believe arises from the beliefs that John says to himself.
The sequence of events is A, followed by B, and then C. The thoughts can occur very rapidly, so fast that they not be noticed, and John finds himself thinking that the source of the “negative” emotions was his boss. This thought process can also be a trap to John since the more John thinks this way, the further “negative” emotions will be produced, which will lead to more unreliable assumptions. This could be described as a vicious cycle of events that could quickly get out of hand. Studies have shown that our moods can be affected by our thought patterns and the only thing we have to do is think differently to feel various emotions. If we are able to stop and in the opposite direction, we could end up with an enlightened cycle that can lead to more precise and more efficient thinking. To achieve this, we can add “D” and “E” to the ABC model.
The Change
“D” is about disputing or challenging your own unresourceful thoughts as well “E” stands for the positive result that results by taking time to engage in the internal debate. In the above example, John believes that his boss will always do the same thing to him. The term “always” is a generalization which means that John might start to question whether this really is the case. And is his boss really making fun of him? If John believes that he’s a victim, his actions and feelings are the victim’s, and it will continue that cycle John should others who could be persecutors or bullies decide to see John as a potential victim or a whipping-boy
A Way to change your life and Your Team
The exercise could transform your life, and it is not an exaggeration. When you start to alter your thoughts and feelings, your behavior will gradually and naturally begin to change. This is the key that lies behind the most successful change in behavior. Therefore, begin to determine for yourself the emotions you encounter on a daily basis and what you would like to be less. Some people may refer to these as “negative” emotions, and that is why I’ve highlighted the negative work. According to my, the emotion isn’t a negative one – it’s an emotion. It’s that is neither positive nor negative. However, often we wish to feel negative emotions less frequently than the more positive ones. Do you find yourself feeling angry, sad, and depressed? Frustrated, angry, or anything else. Check if these emotions are genuinely beneficial for you? If not, then you need to be more aware of the thoughts that precede them as well as the events that triggered the thought process. You might want to begin an ABC journal that records the thoughts, events, or thinking and the emotions that are triggered by them. Once you’ve begun to recognize the ABC and begin to challenge and question the thinking which leads to “negative” emotions, you might then begin to develop new and more creative ideas that could be the catalyst for “positive” emotions.
After you’ve begun to make this change work for yourself, If your team hasn’t already begun to transform due to your changes, then you’re able to coach them to get more adept in recognizing and changing their mindset.
Attention line managers and leaders who wish to become better in motivating teams and influence the behavior of their employees…
Find a way to boost the motivation that makes you appear attractive, gain more tremendous respect and admiration from coworkers as well as earn more rewards and promotions, and allow you to gain more from your team in less effort than you’re spending right now.
You’ll be able to…
How do you find the hot spots of your team to boost their motivation?
How do you maintain motivation over longer durations of time?
How can you reduce conflict in the team and increase motivation to achieve the goals of the team?
