SELF-REGULATORY PLANS AND IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES

Implementation strategies connect general goals (“Resolve conflict construc­tively”) to a specific implementation intention (“If she says I’m rude, I’ll ask her to cite specific examples; I won’t lose my temper and start calling her names”).

a specific planned response (THEN_____________ ) helps ensure implementation of the

plan by tying a hot trigger event to the intended response rather than the habit­ual response. For instance, translating the goal of “health and physical fitness” into an intention to “exercise regularly” is not an effective plan of action because it is too broad. An effective plan of action specifies the how, when, and where rather than just the what of the action steps needed to accomplish the goal (Gollwitzer, 1996). A better plan for the person seeking a healthier lifestyle might be “I’ll go to the park and jog two miles every weekday evening as soon as I get home from work.” This is a better plan because it specifies the exact action (jogging two miles), when and where it happens (every weekday in the park), and the situation that triggers the action (as soon as I get home from work). A similarly detailed plan of action can help ensure that specific conflict resolution strategies are initiated at the right time and place and with the appro­priate people.