Most Important Thing I’ve Learned
My favorite lesson by far and I think one of the most important things I learned this term was in the “Levels of Performance” lecture. This lesson resonated with me deeply, I have actually shared about the topics covered in that lecture with many of my friends and it brought them fresh perspective. As I stepped into and continued in different leadership roles this year, I understood that the performance or levels of output produced would be a result of being able to motivate people based on shared values. The Level of Performance lecture highlights that performance is motivation x ability. As I reflect on my tendencies, it can be easy for me to want to motivate myself and others without taking a second to step back, and intentionally think about how ability plays into this mix. This is one reason why I am really enjoying our final project in this class. The assignment is allowing us to create the space to see moments where we were at our maximal performance or even times when the consistency of our typical performance, over time, made large impacts in the lives of those around us.
As a student-athlete who has aspirations to play professionally, I am constantly evaluated on my performance, and as a captain, I navigate ways to motivate my teammates and other student-athletes. I understand that ability is concerned with the “can-do” measures of performance and motivation is concerned with the “will do” measures of performance. Like any passionate leader, I am so fascinated with the thought of elevating and enhancing the maximal and typical performance of myself and those around me. Is it possible that through the consistency of high levels of typical performance that one’s maximal performance can be raised? (is it possible to increase someone’s “100%” best over time?) It is an interesting thought to wrestle with. If someone’s ability is high, but they don’t take the time and space to develop their daily habits in their career, then, I feel as if their maximal performance, that ceiling, can be lowered. And vice versa, if one’s typical performance elevates day by day, won’t they get equipped with the skills to elevate their maximal performance?
I understand that there are people, ability-wise, who are just not physically or mentally capable of doing certain tasks (i.e. I will never be able to sprint a 9-second 100-meter dash, I’ve tried…). Like most things in life, the answers to those questions aren’t so black and white. It all depends on what is considered strong performance. The glass water metaphor and comparison with a professional athlete during playoffs vs. someone in a career who needs consistency day-in and night-out on the job is a great example of why it’s important to understand the job criteria and description.
Hi Joel,
I really like how you mentioned that how a company responds to surfacing acts of discrimination is extremely important. I completely agree with this, as I mentioned in my post that depending on the scale of the discriminatory actions, the first thing I do to evaluate the company is on how they handle the situation. We have seen a lot of companies claim they are against workplace discrimination, yet, it seems that we always see news articles shining a light on the issue. A company is made up of several people. Each employee has different attitudes and beliefs, and unfortunately, this can lead to a few bad eggs affecting the reputation of an entire company. I admire your willingness to get to the bottom of an issue rather than immediately making a decision to boycott. However, I think there is a time and place for boycotting, as well.
This was a great argument for Jaime’s case. It is true that positive and consistent habits can lead to success. I also thought the idea of a long term vs short term hire is a great alternative way in thinking of the hiring process.
Hi Joel,
Reading your blog post was extremely inspiring! It sounds like you come from a place of humility and continue that spirit through your life accomplishments. I also think it helps that you have a sense of gratitude and positivity. That will emanate to future employers and help in “Closing the Deal” when hiring managers assess your fit with an organization.
Good luck to you!