What is Success Factor Modeling

Success Factor Modeling TM

Success Factor Modeling TM (SFM) is a methodology developed by Robert and John Dilts in

order to identify, understand and apply the critical success factors that drive and support

successful people and organizations. Success Factor Modeling™ is founded upon a set of

principles and distinctions which are uniquely suited to analyze and identify crucial patterns of

business practices and behavioral skills used by successful individuals, teams and companies.

The SFM TM process is used to identify key characteristics and capabilities shared by successful

entrepreneurs, teams and business leaders and then to define specific models, tools and skills that

can be used by others to greatly increase their chances of producing impact and achieving

success.

By examining successful businesses, projects and ventures and observing the behavior of

high performing individuals and teams, SFM™ helps people and organizations to distinguish the

factors that have created a particular pattern of success and to identify the trends necessary to

extend that legacy into the future. These factors can then be “baked into” people’s daily activities

by providing the appropriate strategies, tools and support.

One of the strengths of the SFM TM process is its integration of effective business practices

with key behavioral skills. Modeling behavioral skills involves observing and mapping the

crucial personal and interpersonal processes that produce a successful or remarkable

performance of some type. The goal of the behavior modeling process is to identify the essential

elements of thought and action required by an individual or group to produce the desired

response or outcome—i.e., discovering what is “ the difference that makes a difference.” It is the

process of taking a complex performance or interaction and breaking it into small enough chunks

so that it can be recapitulated in some way. The purpose of behavior modeling is to create a

pragmatic map or “model” of that behavior which can be used to reproduce or simulate some

aspect of that performance by anyone who is motivated to do so.

Success Factor Modeling can be likened to identifying the particular key needed to unlock

the door to success for various life situations. Life circumstances present us with doorways

leading to different areas of success. The locks on these doorways are the critical issues and

contextual constraints we must address in order to reach our goal in those particular

circumstances. The “key” to a particular “lock” is the appropriate combination of behaviors and

the corresponding mindset required to effectively address the issues and constraints presented by

a certain context.

A key that successfully unlocks one door will not necessarily unlock another one, even if it

worked perfectly for the previous door. Thus, in order to address changing contexts, an effective

model would provide not only a description of the key, but also include a description of the lock

which that key fits.

An effective model provides a description of the lock (strategic challenges and objectives)

and the key which opens it (skills and actions).

Thus, the objective of the Success Factor Modeling™ process is to make an instrumental

map —one supported by a variety of exercises, formats and tools that allows people to apply the

factors that have been modeled in order to reach key outcomes within their chosen context. To

accomplish this, SFM applies the following basic template:

The Basic Success Factor Modeling Template

Our mindset —which is made up of our inner state, attitude and thinking processes—

produces outer behavioral actions . It is our mindset that determines what we do and the type of

actions we take in a particular situation. These actions, in turn, create outcomes in the external

world around us. Achieving desired outcomes in our environment thus requires the proper

mindset in order to produce the necessary and appropriate actions.

Desired outcomes – such as satisfaction, contribution, innovation, profitability, growth, etc. –

are the “locks” an individual is seeking to successfully open. The individual’s mindset and

actions form the “key” which will open a particular lock. The goal of Success Factor Modeling is

to find the proper “keys” which open the “locks” necessary to reach our desired outcomes.

What Is Success?

A key theme in this program is the notion of “success.” Success Factor Modeling is clearly

focused on the concept of achieving success. Thus, it is natural to begin by asking the question,

“What exactly is success and what does it mean to be a success?”

Linguistically, the word “success” comes from the Latin succedere which means to “go up”

or “follow after.” The term is a combination of the Latin roots sub (“under,” “near” or “close to”)

and cedere (“to go”). The implication is that “success” is about going near to something you

want. Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines success as meaning “to turn out well” or “to attain a

desired object or end.”

Viewed from this perspective, there is no single objective measure of success. It has to do

with your ability to reach your desired outcomes, whatever they may be. You do not have to be a

billionaire in order to feel or be “successful” or “a success.” Essentially, “becoming a success”

has to do with developing the motivation, skills and resources necessary to reach your desired

goals.

Success and “Self”

The notions of “becoming a success” or “being a success” imply goals at an identity level. What

makes someone perceive him/herself as successful or consider him/herself “a success?” Clearly,

money and possessions are not necessarily the main measure of inner success. In fact, successful

people often see money as merely a means to an end rather than the end itself.

As a result of our studies, one of our conclusions is that, at the level of self and identity, you

are successful in any area of your life in which you have the inner experience of feeling both

grateful and generous . Successful people are grateful for what they have and, at the same time,

are able to generously share with others. Bill Gates and Warren Buffett’s Giving Pledge initiative

is great example of this principle.

Thus, gratitude is important because, even if you have enough to give away, if you don’t feel

grateful for what you have, you most likely do not perceive it as valuable. Or, to put it another

way, if you do not value what you have, you won’t feel grateful to have it and thus not feel

successful.

Generosity is important because, if you feel grateful to have something, but believe you must

hold onto every speck of it, then you will constantly worry about needing to have more of it,

similar to an addiction. You will not feel that you have “enough.” Successful people have

enough of what they need and feel that they can give something back.

As a way to get a personal reference experience for this, take a moment and explore some

areas of success in your life by considering the following two statements.

I feel grateful for the ____________________________________________________ I have.

I am able to be generous to others with my __________________________________________

because I have enough of it.

Be sure to consider different items at several levels such as “money,” “time,” “knowledge,”

“energy,” “strength,” “creativity,” “support,” “love,” etc.