(Originally Posted September 28, 2008)
How far could you go in your business or career if you were able to bring you’re “A” game to work every day?
We’ve all had those days when everything clicks. We are able to think well and keep cool under pressure, we speak with confidence, we see problems as exciting challenges rather than burdens, people are attracted to us, our ideas go over well in meetings, and customers want to buy from us. Nothing can derail our sense of high competence and satisfaction.
Such days are not a gift from the universe. They are the result of good preparation and a confident state of mind. Where the average performer shows up for work every day and wings it, the high performer shows up ready to play.
I use Tiger Woods often as an example of self-management. Every time he walks onto the first tee on Thursday he has already figured out how he is going to win the tournament. He has determined what parts of his game are strong and what parts are suspect that week. His game plan is designed to maximize his strengths and minimize his weaknesses. Even if Tiger doesn’t have his “A” swing he has his “A” game.
To bring your “A” game to work every day, you need to get into the zone where your confidence, sense of competence and energy are high. You know your priorities. You have anticipated the challenges that may arise and you are ready to tackle them. You are ready for meetings and presentations. Your mind is alert. You know that no matter what may happen you will be able to deal with it.
Getting into the zone is not a matter of will power or positive thinking. It isn’t a special talent. (Indeed, many talented people never do anything special with their talents or their life. Wonder why?) Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts. Getting into the zone means you figured out what you need to be really good at and then you got really good at it.
Brain surgeons do not have off days. Nobody wants to go under the knife of a neurosurgeon in a bad mood. They show up ready to perform at the top of their game every time. They have supreme confidence in their abilities. Brain surgeons are not necessarily smarter than other types of surgeons but imagine the confidence they must have to operate on someone’s brain where the slightest error could cost that someone dearly. Their confidence is not ego. They are likely to have big egos but their confidence is the result of hour after hour, month after month and year after year of training. Before they lift a scalpel they have imagined every minute of the upcoming procedure, anticipating problems and surprises and what they will do about them. They have gathered every scrap of information about their patient and the diagnosis. They have reviewed case studies for similar operations. When they make that first incision they are ready to perform, just as Tiger is ready when he hits his first drive.
If you want to bring your “A” game to work every day you must first have an “A” game. What are the skills needed for your job? Have you mastered them? Are you supremely confident in your abilities – not because you have a big ego but because you know you have prepared well and practiced often? Only after you have game can you work on getting into the zone.
When you are in the zone you are acutely focused on the process rather than the result. Where positive thinking is about imagining the end result, high performers think about the next thing they need to do to fulfil their game plan. They leave as little as possible to chance. When Tiger is on the golf course, he thinks about the shot he needs to hit right now, not about what score he needs to win. He may have a score in mind but he has control only over the next shot. And his choice of shot is calculated based on the situation he is in. By focusing on that shot he eliminates distractions and puts everything he has into it. If you focus on what you need to do next rather than the eventual outcome, you can put everything you’ve got into that particular step. If you wing it and make up the plan as you go along your energy and skills are diluted.
Of course, there are times when something unanticipated comes up and you will find yourself winging it. Even Tiger hits it in the trees once in awhile. That’s life. Part of your confidence is in your ability to recover if something goes wrong. You can recover from mistakes because through your hard work you’ve become so good at what you do you are able to think on your feet and get through it. You’ll pull of the miracle shot knowing that it wasn’t at all a miracle but skill.
These are some of the basics for bringing your “A” game to work every day. The final thought I will leave you with for now is the value of a coach. Tiger is the best golfer in the world but he has a coach. A coach helps you see things you can’t see for yourself. A coach has tools to help you over the bumps and slumps that occur even with the highest of high performers. And good coaches are great sparring partners. They tell you like it is and help you get better no matter how good you are today.
Doug
Your comments are welcome.
