Mel Robbins is a bestselling author and CNN commentator. She has spent a decade coaching, teaching, and motivating others. Prior to her keynote session, Robbins spoke with Conference Daily about making behavior change and what she’ll share with ATD21 attendees.
1. Where did your inspiration for The 5 Second Rule come from?
I can’t wait for you to learn about The 5 Second Rule at ATD21. It’s a tool that can help you take any area of your life to the next level. It bridges the gap between your thoughts and actions. Most of us already know what we need to do. The problem is that knowing what to do and why you need to do it will never be enough. What you need is something that’s going to launch you into a state of action. First, we must learn to conquer our own feelings. That is where The 5 Second Rule comes in. The inspiration for it came at a time when I had hit rock bottom. Sometimes when you hit rock bottom, you bounce. That’s what happened to me. At my lowest moment, I invented this tool and saved myself from self-destruction.
2. Amid a global health pandemic, why do you feel teaching people about behavior change is so important?
Yesterday could have been the crappiest day of your life. But no matter what happened yesterday, you have a choice about how you wake up and spend today. A good life is not lived by chance but by choice. It’s determined by the choices you make every day. This is not toxic positivity. Your problems are very real. And no matter how atrocious your past was or what happened over the past 18 months, you can still create a totally new future. You can’t change what happened or what is happening around you but you can choose what happens next. And that begins with the things you do every single day—the ways in which you go about your day.
3. What role can behavior change play for organizations that want to make progress in terms of diversity, equity, and inclusion?
It’s been incredible to see the conversations that are happening around DEI in the workplace. Research shows us that more diverse leadership and teams are more innovative, productive, and profitable. While those conversations are important, they alone are not enough. It is every company’s responsibility to create a culture that values diversity and allows for equal chances of promotion and visibility for everyone.
To make diversity a priority, organizations can reset norms around flexibility and make sure that everyone, even those who continue to work remotely, are given equal career opportunities. They can also watch out for “office housework.” If companies commit to a more equitable workforce by hiring more diverse candidates, it’s important that those workers don’t end up with more invisible work, such as administrative tasks that while helpful are not in their job descriptions. Those tasks use up valuable time that those individuals could use to work on important projects that raise their visibility.
And companies need to create “psychological safety,” which research shows is the secret to successful teams. It means you operate in a way that people feel safe coming to you with problems, challenges, and improvements. Open, transparent communication encourages a culture of innovation, collaboration, and authentic engagement. That is especially true when employers have teams of people of all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life.
4. What do you hope attendees will take away from your keynote session?
No matter what you’ve been going through over the past year, you’re not alone. I hope to answer your questions about the biggest challenges you’re facing. We’re all facing these challenges together, and we’ll emerge stronger and better for it.