performance

Many years ago I was told the story about an IT technician who was called to an executive’s office to fix a computer. The techie arrived, opened the machine, turned one screw, closed it and fired it up. It worked perfectly!

When the executive received the account for USD 255 he was incensed. He phoned the techie, demanding to know how turning one screw could possibly cost so much.

"The first requisite of success is the ability to apply your physical and mental energies to one problem without growing weary." Thomas Edison

Last week I was waiting to check in at the airport and was confounded by the rudeness of fellow travellers toward the airline after a delay. This morning, while having a meeting at a coffee-shop at an upmarket mall, I noticed little kids throwing tantrums and being rude towards everyone in their immediate environment. Then I got back to my home-office where I was faced with more short-temperedness because I forgot to buy a new supply of coffee for the coffee machine.

Instead, I took everyone to our favourite coffee shop on the corner for a cappuccino. Noble I know, but my reason was much deeper than scoring brownie-points. Familiarity will cheer people up, while people will only embrace newness and novelty when they’re in a positive mood.

Throughout their careers, sportsmen and women will take part in thousands of races.  Business people will make thousands of presentations - most of which will fall on (kinda) deaf ears. Unless they fall in the rare 0,5% who chose their parents correctly, like Steve Jobs, Bruce Fordyce, Mark Allen and Lance Armstrong, they will achieve winning or exceptional results in only a hand-full of the events they start.  Mentally speaking, the biggest challenge in every event is to replicate your best performance time and time again.  Champions become what they are through consistent performance. 

As a “motivational” speaker in the eyes of some people and clients, I’m often asked where real employee motivation comes from. It has always been my opinion that companies falsely believe motivation comes from employees’ back pocket – in other words the money they take home at the end of the month.

I know, however that almost every employee I talk with complains that there is always too much month at the end of the salary. If that is the case around the world, why are these people still working for the same company that does not pay them “enough”?

 True fulfillment comes not from attaining your own goals.  They are merely the catalyst.  True happiness and fulfillment comes from sharing your knowledge, experience and wisdom with others. Research in Sport Psychology also shows that you perform better when you are able to transcend yourself - when you do something because you get fulfilment from the activity and not from the result.

Your mind cannot operate in negatives.
 
Whatever you do, do not think of pink elephants!
 
What are you thinking about right now?
 
90% of the population will say ...

 “The shortest way to do many things is to do only one at a time.”  Richard Cech

Since school days our teachers, coaches and parent have told us to focus.  But what is focus really? 

In a business environment where everyone wants to streamline their business, cut costs, reduce the headcount but still remain in business, I often find that those decisions – fiscally astute as they might be – backfire.

Yesterday I called the SABC about my TV license. (For my international readers: All South Africans are required by law to be in possession of a license in order to own a TV. This has to be paid annually in order to fund the public broadcaster. They are in dire financial straits due to mismanagement and have cancelled virtually all new programming placing many actors, producers and thousands of related jobs in jeopardy. They’re only broadcasting re-runs on all three their channels. Most, if not all, affluent people here watch satellite TV from a private supplier similar to cable for which we pay a monthly fee.)

I spoke with the lowest common denominator – a call centre agent. The conversation went something like this: (I might even call them again, record it and podcast it...)

 “If you refuse to accept anything but the best you often get it.”  Anonymous
Most South Africans are push-overs!  We seem to accept everything we get given – even when we’re not very happy with it!  Have you ever complained when your steak was not done exactly the way you ordered it?  Stop accepting what you get.