Performance Improvement

People often seek coaching because they want better results. At the heart of better results is performance improvement, and performance improvement always requires change. That is where the challenge begins: many people want improvement, but not everyone is ready to change.  Do you want to improve? Are you ready to change? For coaching to be useful, the answer to both questions must be a clear and committed yes.

First, Identify What Must Change

Once you are ready to change, an obvious question must be answered: What specifically needs to change for performance to improve? Here are even more questions that can help bring that answer into focus. What is your current performance status?  What is happening now?  What do you and others observe about your performance?  This observation and inventory should not be done in haste. A careful, slow, and objective review of current performance is essential. You cannot leave a place you have never clearly identified.

How are you measuring your performance?  Specific objective measurement is extremely useful when working to improve. Subjective feedback and personal perceptions can also be helpful, but relevant measurable data is gold. Measurement gives improvement an objective target and helps separate perception from reality.

A SWOT analysis, consisting of four questions, helps clarify the current state of performance: What is STRONG about the performance? What is WEAK about the performance? Where is there an OPPORTUNITY for improvement? What THREATENS to damage or destroy the performance? Second, Define the Desired Outcome

What does excellent performance look like? What scorecard would tell you that you are performing well? A clear target makes it easier to choose the right actions and stay committed when the work becomes difficult. Third, Create and Execute the New Habits and Actions

Executing specific changes in routine, habit, and action will move performance from where it is toward where it needs to be.  Improvement does not happen through intention. It happens when people commit to executing the right habits, measuring the outcomes, learning from the results, and continuing to adjust and move forward. Final Thought

Performance improvement is not a one-time event. It is a focused process of seeing clearly, choosing wisely, acting consistently, and learning as you go. If you are willing to change, you have already taken the first step toward better performance.