The process of developing an outstanding performance is really quite simple, although these universal truths are often extremely complex and difficult to achieve in the real world. We need to break through a ceiling of uncomfortable, conservative, mediocre thinking in order to step up and consider the possibility of becoming outstanding. From there it’s a process of jumps, some higher than others, that take our performance from okay to outstanding.
It doesn’t take a lot of energy to take a performance from okay to good. The real hurdle is the leap from good to excellent. This process begins when we decide that, because we’re good at something, we want to work passionately hard everyday to develop the capacity to be excellent, and deliver to a standard of excellence. Achieving excellence doesn’t happen overnight – it can take up to 25 years of dedication, energy and hard work before we can become truly excellent at what we do.
The final jump from excellent to outstanding is small, but makes all the difference. If we can compare the process to boiling water, achieving a standard of excellence is 99 degrees – it only takes one degree more for the water to boil, and it’s that small extra bit of energy that creates an outstanding performance and changes everything. Taking a performance level from excellent to outstanding requires a tipping point action, one last bit of momentum to create an outstanding, world-changing, result-giving outcome.
When you’re looking to empower those around you to be outstanding, you have to understand and tap-into things that will mobilise and motivate them towards outstanding performance levels. This requires a commitment to an inspiring brand promise, a clear cultural philosophy, and a brand spirit that moves beyond commercial concerns into mobilising employee behaviour in a way that is valued as worthwhile to them and those around them. This could be the tipping point that takes your work team from excellent to outstanding.
The key is to understand how you can take the spirit of your brand – your brand’s focus and energy – and use it to inspire your team to feel outcomes the way that you feel them; see potential the way that you see it; hear messages the way that you hear them; and most of all, believe in what they are doing in the same way you do. This also has a powerful impact on how you feel about what you do.
When we love what we do, we have a deep belief that it’s the right thing for us. If you can connect people to their work in a way that allows them to express their passion and love for their craft, this gives them the ability to move beyond excellence and become outstanding performers. People will only become outstanding performers if they choose to and want to, not if they are told to or merely expected to – inspire your people to choose to succeed.
