The Performance Equation

Whether you are training for a marathon, aiming to hit sales quotas, or a youth athlete striving to reach the next level, you are in a continuous pursuit to improve your performance. Performance is measured across all domains of life as a barometer to illustrate success, measure progress, or identify behaviors, actions, or outcomes.

From sports coach, strength and conditioning facilitator, physical educator, to the pinnacle I define as a human performance specialist, I have developed a formula for establishing which inputs need to be identified and analyzed to provide clarity, reasoning, and ultimately a protocol to guide my subjects—whether a team, group, or individual.

The clearer this process becomes, the more I can use digital tools and technologies to simplify it and eventually automate it. But first, we must get clear on the order of operations. Here is the framework of my performance equation: my systematic approach to developing a protocol to help whoever I am working with achieve their desired objectives.

Who

Who are you working with? How old are they? What is their athletic background? How long have they been physically active, or as coaches call it, what is their training age? How active are they, and what type of activities do they partake in? Are they taking any medications? This is just the tip of the iceberg but provides a baseline for understanding the individual. From there, what is their medical history? Have they undergone any surgical procedures or suffered from major injuries? Do they have a family history of disease or illness? Without sleep tracking data, it is important to get a general idea of their sleeping patterns, which often correspond to their recovery and eating habits. Identifying these essentials helps me understand their needs and guide them to maximize their abilities.

What

Knowing who they are, what do they do for work? Is their work physically strenuous or more cognitively demanding? How often are they seated, or are they working with their hands? How many hours do they work per day and per week? When we know their body composition and how well they move, we can begin to tell if they are fit to handle the rigors of their jobs, having properly identified the demands. While analyzing an athlete in sport is clear—based on age, level, position, and sport—the demands of someone in a manufacturing plant, an office, or law enforcement are all very different. A thorough understanding of human performance allows me to identify the key attributes required to excel in their profession.

Where

Where are they going? This refers to their ultimate goal. My job is to develop a roadmap or strategy, understand where they are, and create a pathway that takes their unique circumstances into account. This personalized plan aligns with their lifestyle based on their demands, systematically developing a process to ensure that by executing a few key tasks daily, they form productive habits. The repetition will compound, and they will get there. From drinking water, stretching, to taking jump shots, these essential daily habits can vary, but what remains constant is the identification of key behaviors that fit into their schedule daily, yielding results if executed consistently.

Why

This is the education component. You can’t just tell someone to do something and expect them to follow blindly. While a coach may have a systematic approach to developing a protocol, if the data discussed is collected in sequential order, less explanation is required as the individual or team can connect the dots in real-time. However, we cannot leave it to interpretation. It’s not their job to think; that’s why I am there. I am the guide, but they must know why. They must understand why following these behaviors, workout plans, and eating habits, and sleeping a certain amount of hours will get them to where they need to be.

How

Putting it all together, this is the plan—the system in its entirety mapped out. It takes into account where they are, what they are trying to achieve, what they must do, why it matters, and the actual pathway implemented into a tangible guide. Whether delivered digitally, through online meetings, in-person coaching, or all of the above, this is where execution begins. With precision and clarity, if they trust and commit to the plan, the metrics they follow to measure progress and determine success will take care of themselves.

Iterate

While the core components are Who, What, Where, Why, and How, upon completing a block or meso cycle, or quarter—depending on the setting—you will analyze performance. Measure consistency, gather baseline data, feedback, and establish what’s working and what’s not. This ongoing analysis provides a feedback loop for adjustments, optimally fitting the needs and addressing blind spots that may have been missed in the initial evaluation. While the systematic approach has been presented, it is up to the specialist to establish which metrics to use in each phase to maximize the performance of their subject.