Performance Rules!

It's Awards Time! (WPA)

As we approach the end of the year, we are inundated with awards and top 10, top 100, top this and that, and lists of greatests… And I’m here to add to the fun. I’m proud to announce the first annual… drum roll please… Worst Performance Award.

I Said Invisible, Not Non-Existent

Last week I talked about how leaders, managers and coaches can be so subtle that they’re almost invisible to the people they’re leading, managing and coaching (The Invisible Coach). That’s not an excuse to do nothing! Not an excuse to abdicate, rather than delegate. Not an excuse to simply wish or hope that your people do a good job and produce the results you’re after. Not an excuse to be non-existent.

The Learning Formula

A number of years ago I came across a very interesting factor in the learning process. I was coaching a young race driver who, no matter how many times I told him what to do, he just couldn’t get it. So, relying on my knowledge of the “mental game” and on my study of sports psychology tactics, I felt he must not have a strong and clear mental image of what he was supposed to do.

The Myth About Natural Talent

I’ve recently read two books that talk about similar subjects: Outlier, by Malcolm Gladwell (author of the best-selling Blink and The Tipping Point), and Talent is Overrated, by Geoff Colvin. Both books back up what I’ve been saying for years, and what I wrote about in my Speed Secrets books. Great performers in any activity, whether sport, music, arts, business or whatever are not born with more talent than average performers.

Changing Behavior

Many of today’s business leaders talk about the importance of change, and of the ability of companies and people to be accepting of change. They talk about how today’s workforce must learn how to change. Unfortunately, from what I’ve seen and heard, there is much more talk about change than there really is change. Individuals embrace the idea or concept of change, but when it comes right down to it, they don’t really change when change it needed.

Not All Executive Coaching is Created Equal

Executive coaching has become very popular over the past decade or so, and that’s for one reason: it works. But not all executive or business coaching is the same, though. Generally, there are five different types of executive or business coaching:

Racing as a Laboratory

I’m fortunate person.

I’ve spent over 30 years, now, driving race cars. Wow, have a learned a lot in that time. Just imagine the things I’ve learned about racing in that amount of time, especially since I’ve been able to compete at some of the highest level of the sport: Indy cars, prototype sports cars, Trans-Am, road and oval racing. But, you know what? I’ve learned more FROM racing than I’ve learned about racing. Racing is an amazing laboratory.

Performance Leads To Results

Because of some work I’ve been doing lately, I’ve been thinking about how many executives, managers and business owners approach their careers. Or, specifically in the case of business owners, what their approach is to making their companies successful.

Does Education Lead to Learning?

A good friend of mine makes the differentiation between education and training with a thought-provoking question: Would you like your daughter to attend a sex education or a sex training class? Points out the difference between education and training, doesn’t it?!

Performance Coaching and The Variety of My Job

I love the variety that my coaching “job” allows me. Actually, anything this much fun couldn’t be work, so I can’t really call it a job.