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- If you were in the shoes of the business owner and had to choose which person would you hire (Avery or Jaime) and why?
- I would hire Jaime, because with it being an essential position that I am needing to fill, I need someone who performs well and is consistent in the day to day operations of the business. I know that some people perform better than others when in a high pressure project, I’d rather have someone who is reliable because you don’t know when big high pressure projects are going to present themselves and so I would choose the candidate that was the best fit for the day to day operations.
- Describe a type of job where it would be better to hire someone like Avery (i.e., high potential, poor consistency) than Jaime? What is it about that job that makes someone like Avery more valuable than Jaime?
- Avery would perform best in what could be considered high stress and rapid change, like the stock exchange for example. It sounds like they may get bored in the day to day operations and that is why they seldom perform at their best, but if put in a position where you never know what your day is going to be like and always having to be on top of everything would keep them engaged in the work and so you would see maximum performance out of them the majority of the time.
- Describe a type of job where it would be better to hire someone like Jaime (i.e., low potential, high consistency) than Avery? What is it about that job that makes someone like Jaime more valuable?
- Jaime would perform best in a position that doesn’t involve a lot of change, by this I mean the type of work is very consistent, you know exactly what to expect when you go into work and the opportunity for big issues to arise, that aren’t easily fixed, are very slim. An example of where people like this thrive would be in an assembly line, maybe at a distribution center, where they are a cog in the wheel. Stresses are bound to arise no matter what occupation you are in, but I think you would see the best performance in the day to day operations if you fill the positions with a personality type similar to Jaime’s.
3 replies on “Typical vs. Maximal Performance”
Hi Hannah, great insights. Jaime would definitely be more reliable than Avery. I do agree that Avery would be good at jobs they change a lot and you have to adapt quickly. I also think that Avery would preform well in creative jobs.
Hi Hannah,
One of the serious problems for a career, company or business to fail is the lack of consistency. You know that restaurant you praise one day, but the next day, the food is cold and the waiter is grumpy? Or, like that store that on the customer’s first purchase delivers on time, but on the second, besides being late, the product arrives damaged? This is lack of consistency, the company and the waiter.
In the career, the same thing happens. One week the employee breaks the mouth of the balloon, gives excellent results, however, the next he becomes average, crestfallen, lifeless, complaining about everything, treating everyone badly because he has personal problems. Everyone has problems to solve, however, the worst way to solve them is to be inconsistent, whether as a collaborator or entrepreneur.
Hi Hannah,
You make some compelling points, but I think the description of Jaime is overstated, considering that you think she performs “well.” She is not a terrible worker, but compared to her counterpart, she is mediocre, if not steady, whereas Avery is a high performer, where his work is excellent. Avery is just unmotivated and channeling those skills is what makes a great leader and manager, vs. just having to coast with Jaime.