In this engaging discussion, Michael Bungay Stanier, bestselling author and founder of Box of Crayons, shares insights on making progress when starting something new. He emphasizes the power of looking back at past achievements to inform future endeavors. Michael advocates for manageable experiments, advising to 'fire bullets before cannonballs' to reduce risk. He highlights that struggle is a vital part of learning and encourages embracing discomfort as a catalyst for personal growth and transformation.
37:59
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Fire Bullets, Then Cannonballs
Fire bullets at the start to test your assumptions and find the real target.
Then, fire cannonballs by fully committing your resources once you've identified the right approach.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Coaching for Leaders Example
Dave Stachowiak's Coaching for Leaders podcast exemplifies the bullets-then-cannonballs approach.
He spent four years refining the format before fully committing, leading to significant growth.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Discover Your History
Reflect on your past successes to gain courage and freedom for new endeavors.
Ask yourself, "When have I faced something like this before?" to overcome self-doubt.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Achieving Success at Work and in Life One Conversation at a Time
Scott, Susan
Fierce Conversations is a guide to tackling tough challenges and enriching relationships through effective communication. The book introduces the Seven Principles of Fierce Conversations, which include mastering the courage to interrogate reality, coming out from behind oneself into the conversation, being fully present, tackling tough challenges, obeying instincts, taking responsibility for one's emotional wake, and letting silence do the heavy lifting. It emphasizes the importance of radical candor and direct communication in both workplace and personal relationships.
Good to Great
Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't
Jim Collins
In 'Good to Great,' Jim Collins and his research team investigate why some companies achieve long-term greatness while others do not. The book identifies key concepts such as Level 5 Leadership, the Hedgehog Concept, a Culture of Discipline, and the Flywheel Effect. These principles are derived from a comprehensive study comparing companies that made the leap to greatness with those that did not. The research highlights that greatness is not primarily a function of circumstance but rather a result of conscious choice and discipline. The book provides practical insights and case studies to help businesses and leaders understand and apply these principles to achieve sustained greatness.
Atomic Habits
James Clear
Atomic Habits by James Clear provides a practical and scientifically-backed guide to forming good habits and breaking bad ones. The book introduces the Four Laws of Behavior Change: make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, and make it satisfying. It also emphasizes the importance of small, incremental changes (atomic habits) that compound over time to produce significant results. Clear discusses techniques such as habit stacking, optimizing the environment to support desired habits, and focusing on continuous improvement rather than goal fixation. The book is filled with actionable strategies, real-life examples, and stories from various fields, making it a valuable resource for anyone seeking to improve their habits and achieve personal growth[2][4][5].
How to Begin
Michael Bungay-Stanier
The Coaching Habit
Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever
Michael Bungay Stanier
In 'The Coaching Habit,' Michael Bungay Stanier provides a straightforward and effective approach to coaching. Drawing on his extensive experience training managers worldwide, he introduces seven essential coaching questions designed to help managers unlock their team's potential. These questions include the Kickstart Question, the AWE Question, the Lazy Question, the Strategic Question, the Focus Question, the Foundation Question, and the Learning Question. The book emphasizes the importance of saying less and asking more, fostering a collaborative and empowering work environment. It combines practical advice with research in neuroscience and behavioral economics, making coaching a daily, informal part of managerial work rather than a formal event.
Michael Bungay Stanier: How to Begin
Michael Bungay Stanier distills big, complex ideas into practical, accessible knowledge for everyday people so they can be a force for change. His books have sold over a million copies, and The Coaching Habit was a Wall Street Journal bestseller. His TEDx Talk on Taming Your Advice Monster has been viewed more than a million times.
Michael is the founder of Box of Crayons, a learning and development company that helps organizations transform from advice-driven to curiosity-led action. His new book is titled How to Begin: Start Doing Something That Matters*.
In this conversation, Michael and I discuss how to make progress when starting something new. We explore the value in looking back at what you’ve already done to support you on what’s next. Plus, Michael highlights the key principles in running effective experiments that transition into new practices.
Key Points
Fire bullets at the start. Then, fire cannonballs.
Discover what your history reveals about your future self. It will open up a window to who you are that will help you when moving on something new.
When experimenting, don’t make the experiment bigger or more complex than it needs to be.
Avoid putting too much risk in the experiment or investing too much in its success.
We have the most learning when we’re struggling with something.
Resources Mentioned
How to Begin by Michael Bungay Stanier
How to Begin overview
Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes
The Way to Stop Rescuing People From Their Problems, with Michael Bungay Stanier (episode 284)
How to Become the Person You Want to Be, with James Clear (episode 376)
How to Nail a Job Transition, with Sukhinder Singh Cassidy (episode 555)
Discover More
Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.
Coaching for Leaders 
