How to Get the Best Performance From Yourself and Others.
How to get the best performance from yourself and others.
We would all like to know how to get the best performance from other people, from colleagues, from bosses, from suppliers and from customers.
If we could get the best performance from everyone around us, then our lives would be a lot easier.
In our personal lives, we want to get the best from our friends and family, especially the kids. If we could make our home life work better, then our lives would be a lot easier.
But before we can get the best performance from other people, we must first know how to get the best performance from ourselves.
If we were to enter a situation in a bad mood - late, ill prepared and misinformed - then we would be incapable of getting the best from that situation.
So, learning the skills relating to "getting the best from people" is one of the most important things to learn.
What are the particular skill sets that will empower us to get the best performance from ourselves and others?
We would like to draw your attention to three major skills sets: Clarity, Rationality, and Positivity.
1. Clarity.
Clarity of purpose and communication. We need to make our goals and our communication as clear, precise and well understood as possible.
In relation to our goals and language we must avoid fuzziness, ambiguity, vagueness.
Vague, ambiguous words, elastic definitions and poorly-worded instructions, cause confusion, conflict and error.
On the other hand, clear, accurate and precise language causes greater transparency, better understanding and a higher degree of cooperation.
From the above we conclude that we should:
- Set clear and specific goals that act as a guide to all our actions.
- Communicate using precise language, which is unlikely to be misunderstood.
2. Rationality.
It is not enough to be clear, because it is possible to be clearly wrong.
In order to minimise the chances of being clearly wrong, we must test every thought, every statement and every policy against the standard of reason and logic.
Logic is the science of correct inference. We ensure that conclusions are based upon a logical evaluation of all the available evidence. If we fail to provide a logical rationale for our ideas, then people will have no reason to believe them.
If we don't treat people reasonably, or we treat them unreasonably, nobody will stand being treated unreasonably for very long.
On the other hand, if we always provide good reasons and a good logic to support our ideas, then people will be more inclined to act on them.
So, we can conclude the following:
- We should treat all people and all problems according to the principles of reason.
- We should never guess. Our decisions and policies should always be based upon a rational, logical evaluation, of all the available evidence.
3. Positivity.
We try to imbue our communications with a sense of optimism, friendliness and positive intentions.
This means being as optimistic as the facts will reasonably allow.
We need to have a "can-do" attitude, which means we do not spend much time talking about what cannot be done and why. Instead we focus on what can be done and how.
Optimistic means: we believe that the future will be better than the past.
Friendly means: we assume a likeable tone, with signs of warmth, good humour and respect.
Summary: How to get the best from other people.
Develop the skills of clarity, rationality and positivity.
"The Six Major Keys of Rational Optimism"
- Clear purpose: Decide upon the goal to be achieved.
- Clear communication: Clearly communicate the goal to everyone who needs to know.
- Rational planner: Build logical plans and priority decisions that will lead to the achievement of the goal.
- Rational conflict: Resolve conflict rationally, not emotionally.
- Inspire self: Create self-confidence, self-motivation and self-awareness.
- Inspire others: Think, talk and act in ways that inspire positive emotions in others.
About the Author: Chris Farmer
Chris Farmer is the founder of the Corporate Coach Group and has many years’ experience in training leaders and managers, in both the public and private sectors, to achieve their organisational goals, especially during tough economic times. He is also well aware of the disciplines and problems associated with running a business.
Over the years, Chris has designed and delivered thousands of training programmes and has coached and motivated many management teams, groups and individuals. His training programmes are both structured and clear, designed to help delegates organise their thinking and, wherever necessary, to improve their techniques and skills.
Blogs by Email
Do you want to receive an email whenever we post a new blog? The blogs contain article 5-10 minutes long - ideal for reading during your coffee break!
Further Reading in Personal Effectiveness
-
Self-Control
Be the master of your own destiny. You need to master yourself before you can master a situation. Therefore you need self-control. Your success is dependent on two things: everything you do, and everything you say.
Read Article > -
How can I improve my performance?
How can you improve your performance? Question: Do you think that you have reached the peak of your possible potential? Or rather would you like to think that you have yet to discover and actualise the true extent of your powers? Are you as good as you can get, or have...
Read Article > -
Don't be afraid to ask for help
Asking for help is not a sign of failure or weakness. On the contrary, the ability to ask for help and to avail oneself of the combined brainpower of the team is a sign of maturity, intelligence and power.
Read Article > -
How to feel great everyday
The words you use have the power to change how you feel, both in positive and negative ways. Find out how important it is to use the right words, to make yourself feel great everyday and enable you to perform even better.
Read Article > -
The Importance of Resilience
Resilience is what gives people the emotional strength to cope with stressful situations. Resilient people don't focus on the failures, they learn from the setback and move forward. Their resilience protects them from being overwhelmed by stress.
Read Article >
Looking for Personal Development Training?
If you're looking to develop your Personal Effectiveness Skills, you may find this Personal Development Training Course beneficial:
Open Training Course Pricing and Availability
Next Open Course Starts in 22 days, Preston, places available