The components of performance

Performance can be broken down into 3 areas:

Mindset – attitudes, beliefs, thoughts and feelings.
Environment – the physical and non-physical space around us. Teamwork – working with others.

Mindset

After decades of research, world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., discovered a simple but groundbreaking idea: the power of mindset. People with a fixed mindset believe that abilities are fixed, and are less likely to flourish. However, people with a growth mindset believe that abilities can be developed.

Almost every area of human performance can be dramatically influenced by how we think about our talents and abilities.

Top tips – concentrate on the task at hand, set clear goals and gather feedback on your performance.

Environment

Top tips – set yourself challenges, introduce complexity and take a stand for what you believe in.

Teamwork

Top tips – get to know other team members, take risks and support others.

How can you do this?

Here are some questions to help you:

Mindset – what do you want to achieve long-term?
Environment – how can you challenge yourself?
Teamwork – how can you communicate effectively?

1. In summary think about how you can maintain a growth mindset, remaining open to new ideas and feedback on your performance.
2. Make sure you consider changing the environment around you so that you can focus and try out new things.
3. Effective communication is key, listening to the needs of others is often a great starting point.

Your task

A great way to do this is writing down and answering the questions above. Then return to these questions in a few months time. Notice what you have been able to implement on a daily basis and how your ideas might have changed.

Having a personal development plan that is regularly reviewed is a common and worthwhile activity that many HR teams promote and support.