Mycareercoach.com

Improving performance

There are certain topics of interest that crop up regularly across all sectors whatever the state of the economy. One of these is 'how to improve performance', and this is what we are going to focus on here.

Over the years I have coached senior managers and directors, and I have noticed certain patterns of behaviour and attitudes. Typically, these are successful, respected individuals who, nevertheless, still want to improve their performance. That attitude in itself makes a huge difference to performance.

Whether you are employed or self-employed the underlying facts are the same.
Whereas you might be concerned about managing your career, your employer or potential employer is definitely more concerned about getting the best possible return from you.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can escape this driving force by becoming self-employed. You will find that in essence you are still very much employed – by your customers or clients – to deliver what they want, when, where and how they want it, at the right price.

The most valuable product you own

So, it can be useful to think of yourself as a product, the most valuable product you own – yourself.

This product has many different facets, some you will recognise, some you have yet to discover and some you may try hard to hide. We are all a unique and dynamic mix which develops over our lives.

Getting to know and understand yourself and how you fit into the ‘market’ is an essential step in improving your performance. 
Valuing your current worth and potential is key to motivating yourself to keep learning and developing en route to achieving those longer term aims.

It’s up to you to decide how you should use your ‘unique product’ to get what you want out of life. It is your choice. You need to have a reason, which makes sense to you personally, to step up your performance.

Whatever your employer, colleagues, customers, friends and family suggest, you will not reach peak performance unless you motivate yourself to do so.

Some of the following points may seem obvious when you are quietly reading what follows, but when you are busy at work, focussed on your daily tasks, the obvious may be less apparent.

You need to step back and THINK about what you want to achieve in the long term and make sure that what you are doing now, in the short and medium term, fits into that context.

Written by Margaret Sands, Performance Coach (CFCIPD. MCIM. MCMI).