Some people have the natural ability to get to 7/10 in a specific activity. They may do this as an athlete, singer or in another professional role. But then comes the hard part – the exponential climb towards 10/10.
This is the equivalent of going from county champion to national champion to continental champion to world champion. This is an enormous climb and much greater than from 0 to 7/10.
Some people may define this as a competition against others, but some take another approach. They aim build on their natural talent and become the best kind of person or professional they can be.
Imagine that you want to work towards the 10/10 in your own way. Like perfection, it may never be attainable. But it can be good to enjoy the journey. This can involve going through the following steps.
You can focus on a specific activity where
may be able to move from 7/10 to 10/10
You can start by focusing on a specific activity where you may have the ability to take this step. One approach is to start by asking the usual questions that highlight your strengths. These include the following.
What are the specific activities where you have the ability to deliver As rather than Bs or Cs? What are the specific activities where you are in your element – at ease and yet able to excel?
What are the specific activities where you are good seeing patterns? What are those where you have good personal radar – you are able to predict what will happen before it happens?
What are the activities where you see the destination quickly – where you go ‘A, B and then leap to Z?’ What are those where you have a good track record of finishing and delivering Z?
Imagine that you have explored these themes. The next step is to be selective to be effective. It may call for aiming to do great work in one specific activity rather spreading yourself too thinly. One approach is:
To focus on a specific activity that gives you positive energy where
you may also have the ability to deliver peak performances.
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to do the following things.
Describe the specific activity in which you may want to make the exponential climb from 7/10 to 10/10.
Describe the specific reasons why you believe you may have ability to take this step.
Describe the specific benefits of focusing on this activity – both for yourself and other people.
You can aim to consistently deliver at least
7+/10 when doing this specific activity
This step involves consistently delivering at least 7+/10 when doing the activity. It calls for always maintaining high professional standards and creating a platform for achieving peak performance.
One key point. There are some kinds of work where you must always score 10/10. This will be the case if you are a pilot, a brain surgeon or in another professional role where you must aim for routine perfection.
Great workers follow good habits. They start by clarifying the real results they want to achieve. They then aim to do the right things in the right way every day to increase the chances of delivering these results.
Imagine that you want to take this step in your own way. Bearing in mind your own strengths, one approach is to explore the following themes.
What is the specific activity I want to do? What are the real results I want to achieve? What will be the benefits of achieving these results? What will be happening that will show I have achieved the picture of success?
What are the key strategies I can follow to give myself the greatest chance of success? How can I translate these strategies into a clear action plan? How can I anticipate and manage any challenges?
How can I prepare properly before doing this activity? How can I then follow the strategies most likely to work? How can I get some quick successes? How can I consistently deliver high professional standards?
Imagine that you have worked through some of these questions and want to move into action. If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
You can make the exponential
climb from 7/10 to 10/10
Great workers do the basics and then add the brilliance. They always deliver high professional standards. They then sometimes make the exponential climb to deliver peak performances.
Imagine that you want to follow this approach in your own way. The following section looks at some of the possible ways you can make this happen.
You can build on your strengths and
do something special to get to 10/10
Great workers sometimes build on their strengths and then go into another dimension. They do something special to make the exponential climb to 10/10.
The footballer scores a remarkable goal. The dancer does a quadruple turn. The inventor has an enlightening breakthrough. Some people go beyond excellence. They produce a piece of work that is extraordinary.
Sometimes they do something simple. They may show kindness, be generous or do something else that gives people positive memories for life.
Nelson Mandela demonstrated this quality on many occasions. Here is one instance I heard about from the staff of a London hotel where he stayed. He showed a personal touch that they all remembered.
When departing at 6.00 in the morning, Nelson saw 20 staff lining up to form an aisle towards the door. Though being asked to leave quickly by his security guards, he took the time to say goodbye to each of the twenty staff members.
Giving each person his famous two-handed handshake, he looked them in the eyes and said:
“Thank you for looking after me.”
The hotel staff loved to tell this story. They also aimed, in their own ways, to help their guests to have a positive memory for life.
You can continually improve your
professional standards to get to 10/10
Great workers embody the concept of continuous improvement. You will do this in your own way. One approach is to focus on your work and explore the following themes.
You can specialise even further
and focus on the specific niche
activities where you can deliver 10/10
Great workers are often extremists. They may be extremely strong in some areas but not in others. Some may choose to build on their strengths and work with others who can compensate for any weaknesses.
Some people take another approach. They may choose to specialise even further as they develop in their careers. Such workers may also develop savvy, however, in order to get paid for their work.
Different people do this in different ways. Some may do it by taking the following steps.
They clarify their strengths – the specific activities and niche where they can do what they do best.
They clarify their target audience – such as the kinds of people with whom they work best – and the challenges these people face.
They clarify how they can use their strengths to do superb work and help these people to achieve success.
People who take this route may create own niche and focus on a specific target audience. They aim to make the rules for the new game and deliver great work.
Let’s return to your own work. Imagine that you have chosen to pursue a specific activity. You are also consistently delivering at least 7+/10. How can you then do your best to make the exponential climb to 10/10?
If wish, try tackling the final exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
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