Rowley Associates

There is an oft-quoted saying “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it” In psychology and psychotherapy we have a similar belief that that the best predictor of future behavior is to look at how someone has behaved in the past. I want to use this ‘truth’ to help you plan for 2009.

An ‘Event History’ is a way to plan for the future by systematically reflecting on the past. Here’s how to do it:

Find some time to focus on you – 30 minutes should suffice – but the more the better

Reproduce the chart below. There are no prizes for artistic merit so use a page in a diary, a scrap of paper, back of an envelope: anything. For the moment ignore the examples I provide in the body of the chart.

You should have a chart with the months of the year printed on the horizontal axis and the rating scale, ‘negative’, ‘neutral’ and ‘positive’ printed on the vertical axis.

Using the chart I want you to:

Think of 6 to 8 specific events or situations you experienced during 2008 that had particular significance for you (they may have been a strategy presentation, product launch, customer meetings, offsite, joining a new team – anything that had an impact on you). Write these events down.

Next identify the months these events occurred

Now rate whether these events were, ‘negative’ (it was a bad experience), ‘neutral’ (it was no big-deal), ‘positive’ (it was a very significant, constructive experience)

Plot each event against the ‘negative’, ‘neutral’ or ‘positive’ rating scale and against the month it occurred. For example, I have written that in January the reorg. of my team was a negative experience for me

Continue rating each of your events

Now go back and write down more information on your chart as to what happened – be as specific as you can.
For the second part of the exercise repeat the above instructions but this time rate your team or business. Some of these ‘events’ might be the same.

Review the two events histories. Reflect on:

Are they similar or different?

How much impact do you think you have on the success of your team or business. Does the team profile follow your own?

Are the histories variable – swinging wildly from neutral to negative to positive - or are they fairly constant?

Take stock of the pattern and try to identify the cause of the event rating: Perhaps you made the time to do a thorough analysis or the team worked well together, conversely maybe negative thinking or a lack of confidence was the culprit.
Be honest and objective

Finally looking toward 2009. What are some significant events coming up? What insights can you gain from the events of the past 12 months that will prepare you for the future?