Franklin Covey International Leadership SymposiumSalt Lake City, Utah

October 27, 1999

What REALLY Matters Most

Hyrum Smith, Vice President, Franklin Covey Company —

“Learning is nothing more than spaced repetition”

What is it that causes permanent behavioral change? What can change our addictions? (Addiction is compulsive behavior with short-term benefits and long-term destruction.) Here’s a model we at Franklin Covey believe will help people change destructive behavior into behavior that will, over time, help people achieve what they really want. We call it the Franklin Reality Model:

The first 3 pieces of the model all “invisible”

(To live = Survival ) (Belief: a function of “Rules are automatic!”(To have value is to your age, experience) feel important)

Seven Natural Laws

1. If the results of your behavior do not meet your needs, there is an incorrect belief on your belief window.

5. If your self-worth is dependent on anything external, you are in big trouble.

2. Results take time to measure. 6. When the results of your behavior do meet your needs over time, you experience inner peace.

3. Growth is the process of changing beliefs on your belief window.

7. The mind naturally seeks harmony when presented with two opposing beliefs.

4. Addiction is the result of deep and unmet needs.

Individuals, groups, neighborhoods, corporations, nations, etc all have “belief windows!” And all are made up of human beings.

When you witness a pattern of behavior, can you tell what’s on the belief window? Yes.If we have bad beliefs, will we still do it? Yes. But it only “works” short-term, but it hurts long-term.

What Matters Most™ is about the acquisition and maintenance of inner peace! Why a planner? It brings “control” in life. It’s really about life management, not time management.

Today we have more options, not more or less time than our forebears. We’re into speed! Yet, the basic principles that apply to successful living have not changed for 6,000 years!

We at Franklin Covey are good at “discovering” principles that work and then packaging them!It’s a “visual representation” of what is going on anyway.”

Look at this Franklin Reality Model as an “operating system” that works… works over time. Ultimately, as stated by Law # 7, we seek what works—harmony!

But then, our “Belief Windows” have to change or our behaviors never will change. There are “Six Steps to Follow” in the Franklin Reality Model:

1. Identify the behavior pattern. 4. Identify alternative beliefs.2. Identify possible beliefs driving the

behavior.5. Predict future behavior based on the new

beliefs (principles).3. Predict future behavior based on those

beliefs.6. Compare steps 3 and 5.

A little review and explanation:

Step 1: Why start with behavior? Because it is the only visible thing on “the map.”Step 2: Identify beliefs? Understand that the belief always come back as a “Why.”Step 3: With Hitler, 50 million lost their lives because of his screwed up Belief Window!Step 4: This is a must-do if we want to “correct” beliefs in our current Belief Window.Step 5: Things can be or become very different because of our changed Belief Window!

Some time back I wanted to do some community service. I and another man were “assigned” to go to a high school in a troubled area with problems of gangs, drugs, and so forth. The principal called his “worst” cases to have a meeting with us. He led us to the meeting and then deserted us. After a few minutes with this rowdy group, the other man with me bailed out. I was left to go it alone with them. The “leaders” of the group were unmoved by any traditional arguments relating to lifestyle and any need to change theirs. So I listened to what they said was important to them. And to their descriptions of their role models. As it turned out, most of their role models were dead — victims of drugs and violence. After listen to them, I asked their “spokesman” who related their lifestyle so passionately, “Hey, man, is that gonna meet your needs— over time?”

We turned a corner at that point. These young men didn’t really want to end up the way most of their “idols” did. But they — most of them — began to see and understand that the outcomes of their lives were truly up the them and their beliefs and choices. When the principal came back to end the meeting (or clean up the carnage?) the group refused to end the meeting. We went on talking through this Reality Model.

Yes, we can change what is on our Belief Window. We have control.

As it was with that group of young men, you can be confrontive in attacking someone’s Belief Window … because you’re not attacking them!

The Franklin Reality Model acknowledges that failure is part of growth!

It’s when we get a new Belief Window that replaces our dysfunctional ones that we get a new lease on life.

“Pain is inevitable. Misery is an option.”

Bad stuff does happen to good people!

But we must continually ask ourselves, Will the results of (my) dysfunction meet my needs over time?

How do we know when the results are what we really want and have a right to expect? It’s called “seeds and fruits.” You always get a certain kind of fruit from a certain kind of seed. Always. In our case, we can see so many examples in other people’s lives as well as our own. When a certain kind of lifestyle or behavior is seen, the corresponding “fruit” (result) is known and completely predictable to us.

So follow the six steps of the Franklin Reality Model in analyzing your situation and response.

1. Identify the current behavior pattern.2. Identify possible beliefs driving the current behavior.3. Predict future behavior or outcomes based on those beliefs.4. Identify alternative beliefs that may (may not) serve you better.5. Predict future behavior based on the certain new beliefs (principles).6. After comparing steps 3 and 5, choose alternative behaviors (based on new beliefs)

which will, over time, most likely meet your needs and produce for you the outcomes you desire.