It's thrilling to transform a frustrating problem into an exciting opportunity to achieve an energizing outcome.

That's what we've accomplished so far in the first three steps of the change process. Ben is ready to create a new, dynamic high-performing team, leveraging Ramona's boldness and the rest of the team's sweetness. Ben sees things he didn't see before. His unsolvable problem is now a springboard to greater success. He's optimistic, clear, and focused.

What about the person you're helping to change? You'll lead them to this same place as you bring them through the three steps we've just covered. They will be excited and full of potential too.

Insights are great, but they aren't sufficient. Your job now is to guide your partner to operationalize those insights—to get traction and to create a specific, time-bound plan to use the opportunity to achieve the outcome. It doesn't have to be the right or perfect plan. It just has to be one that has a reasonable chance of success and from which they can learn and improve.

Traction comes from acting, learning, adjusting, and acting again. Think of your plan as an experiment designed to provide feedback and focus to the next round of action.

Your Partner has three tasks in Step 4: Identify Options, Choose, and Commit.

First, you'll help your partner identify at least three options to capitalize on the opportunity you've just uncovered.

Second, you'll guide them to choose from those options to create a plan.

Third, you'll support them in committing to clear actions and deadlines—what they are going to do, how, and when.

The end result of Step 4 is a clear and specific Level-10 plan, a plan that when you ask your partner, “How confident are you, on a scale from 1 to 10, that you will carry out this plan?” they answer, “10!”

They will own and commit to it because they developed it themselves.

They will grow their independent capability as they experiment with new behaviors, changing what they're saying or doing to achieve their energizing outcome.

They will tap into and grow their emotional courage as they risk new approaches and role-play tough scenarios.

And they will emerge with a process—this process—that they can go through again and again, future-proofing them in the face of new challenges.

In the next three chapters, we'll explore each of the three tasks in depth.