The Golden Performance Triangle

What does it take for someone to bring the best possible performance in their work? I believe there are three key questions that need to be asked, reflecting three dimensions of performance.

1. Are they Capable?
2. Are they Inspired?
3. Are they Permitted?

Let's explore these three performance dimensions in a little more detail.

DIMENSION 1 : "CAN DO" - CAPABLE

To do a good job, the relevant capabilities need to be in place. Essentially, this means the right expertise, experience, skills and knowledge, networks and behavioural competencies. I explain these in more detail in another article I wrote some time ago. If you want to dive deeper into the area of Human Capability, then click the link below.

Human Capabilities for High Performance

DIMENSION 2 : "WILL DO" - INSPIRED

I used the word inspired deliberately. A "motivated" employee needs an "outside push" to keep performing. The word motivation is derived from the Latin term motivus (“a moving cause”). I believe that exceptional and sustainable performance arises when we are truly inspired. The word is linked to the Latin īnspīrāre and the Greek in + spīrō (“breathe”).

Inspiration is an intrinsic force to perform. Inspiration is linked to belief and purpose. When I am convinced that my work is truly worthwhile and makes a real difference to somebody, it brings a sense of inner fulfilment and satisfaction. I am far more likely to put my heart and soul into delivering results. The best performance comes when I intrinsically want to perform.

How does this translate into daily working life?

It may be as simple as

1. A line manager or a colleague thanking me for making a contribution.
2. Being told how my organisation's products and services in some way make the world a better place and not just creating shareholder wealth.
3. Knowing how my "little" contribution is a key part of the bigger picture - think of a stonemason that knows he is crafting a something that will become part of a beautiful cathedral or the NASA caretaker who famously told J F Kennedy that he also was helping put a man on the moon.

So, organisations need to think about how they can not just motivate but also inspire their employees in their work.

Finally, the last dimension.

DIMENSION 3 : "MAY DO" - PERMITTED

Am I actually allowed and enabled to do my best work and to bring and be my best self in the job?

A few years back, I was asked by the COO of a $1 billion turnover business to help create a Hunting Culture in a global sales organisation. I used the motif of the "wolf" to brand the global project. We identified hunter capabilities (CAN DO) and initiatives were put in place to develop "hunters". We inspired (WILL DO) the right behaviours through explaining the upside and possibilities of winning new business ("heaven") and the likely consequences of remaining solely in "farming" mode ("hell").

Then I had a thought... "What if the wolves are in cages and cannot hunt?" Are they actually permitted to hunt? What stops the Sales organisation (MAY DO) from actually going out to customers and winning new business?

I set up a global task force to identify the "cages" that stopped wolves from going out to hunt. We identified a number of contextual and cultural barriers or impediments to actually going out and winning new business. We identified issues around:

SELF - Sales Job Design and Job Remit. Are the Sales Wolves actually able to dedicate sufficient time and energy to "winning business"?

OTHERS - No job generally operates as an island. There are interactions with other functions and stakeholders. Is the entire organisation aligned behind the "overarching shared goal" of hunting and winning new business?

ENVIRONMENT and SYSTEMS - IT, systems, processes... Do these help or hinder "hunting"?

How many capable and inspired employees are not actually permitted to perform to the best of their ability because the organisation does not allow them to? So, as a seasoned HR professional, it just might have happened (once or twice) that I have been "sold" an opportunity to work as a strategic, commercial, change-oriented leader and true business partner. Then, fairly quickly, comes the disillusionment as the real context and culture reveals that the majority of my time, energy and efforts need to be channelled into very tactical, administrative and operational fire-fighting. Not an all-together satisfying situation and, for sure, I am not the only person who has had such an experience.

So, as we think about individual and organisational performance, remember the "Golden Performance Triangle". All three dimensions need to be in play ... and then watch the performance take off!