Peak performers build on what they can control when doing a piece of work. But they also realise that some things may be beyond their control. They therefore prepare properly. Bearing in mind the piece of work they want to do, they aim:
To make things as predictable as possible … To manage the unpredictable things … To do their best to achieve their picture of success.
At the same time, they may like to leave space for pleasant surprises. Let’s explore how such people sometimes take these steps.
They Aim To Make Things
As Predictable As Possible
People who take this approach start by focusing on the predictable things. They take the following steps when aiming to do a piece of work.
They clarify what they can do to
make things as predictable as possible
Some start by focusing on what they can predict about their own behaviour. They may predict, for example, that they will do their best and deliver high professional standards. Bearing in mind what they can control, they then aim:
To plan ahead properly … To clarify the real results to achieve … To translate these into a clear picture of success … To clarify the benefits of achieving the picture of success.
To clarify how they can build on their strengths when working towards the goals … To clarify the strategies they can follow to give themselves the greatest chance of success … To translate these into a clear action plan.
To rehearse following their chosen strategies … To rehearse following good habits and delivering high professional standards … To rehearse encouraging themselves and other people.
Such individuals clarify what they can predict about their own behaviour. They then move on to the next theme.
They clarify some of the
predictable things that may happen
Great workers use their imagination to take this step. They clarify the predictable events and challenges that may happen when doing a piece of work. They aim:
To anticipate the predictable challenges they may face … To clarify how to prevent some of these happening … To rehearse how to manage some of these challenges if, despite their best efforts, they do happen.
To anticipate how other people may behave when they are doing the piece of work … To anticipate the possible positive and challenging situations … To rehearse how to manage these successfully.
They may then move into action and do fine work. Sometimes this can be enough to enable them to achieve their goals. There may be times, however, when they need to focus on the following theme.
They Aim To Manage The Potentially
Unpredictable Things That May Happen
Great workers recognise that their work may involve encountering unpredictable situations. These can be caused by chance, random events or other things they can’t control. They therefore take the following step.
They clarify some of the potentially
unpredictable things that could happen
Such workers again use their imagination to explore the potential positive and challenging scenarios. Bearing these in mind, they aim:
To clarify the potentially unpredictable things that could happen in their own personal and professional lives – such as illnesses, setbacks or other events;
To clarify the potentially unpredictable things that could happen in their professional field or market – such as innovations, new competitors or other challenges;
To clarify the potentially unpredictable things that could happen in society or the wider world – such as economic issues, political factors or Black Swan events.
Imagine that a person has described some of these potential events. They may then move on to the next theme.
They clarify how they can do their best to manage
some of the unpredictable things that could happen
Different people take different approaches to planning how to manage such situations. Some explore each potential scenario in turn. They then aim:
To clarify what may actually be happening in the specific situation … To clarify the potential consequences of what may happen … To clarify what they can do to stop any immediate negative consequences.
To clarify what they can control in the situation … To clarify the real results to achieve … To clarify the strategies they can follow to manage the situation successfully.
To move into action, get some early successes and manage any short-team problems … To re-establish stability … To do their best to get positive results and achieve their picture of success.
Different people prepare for potential challenges in different ways. The following section looks at how one person took this approach.
Here is how the TED website described aspects of her work. This is followed by Alanna outlining how she is proactively working to tackle a personal challenge.
Global development expert Alanna Shaikh takes on the toughest of health issues – from the ones affecting the globe at large to the ones hurting her own family. On her blog, Blood and Milk, she aims to make global development issues both accessible and understandable.
In her TED Book, What’s Killing Us, she explains the biggest challenges in global wellness — from HIV/AIDS to the diminishing effectiveness of antibiotics – in a way that anyone can understand.
Alanna is especially interested in Alzheimer’s, as she has watched her father deteriorate from the disease over the past 12 years. But she says the experience has not sent her into denial – she plans to be prepared for the genetically transmitted disease, should it ever arrive.
Alanna intends to develop a ‘hobby’ to keep her hands and mind active. She also intends to keep her body healthy. She says:
“The more things my hands know how to do, the more things that I can be happy and busy doing when my brain’s not running the show anymore.”
She moves on the third point which, she says, is for her more difficult. She aims to continue to become ‘a better person’. Alanna refers to her Dad, who emits love. She says that, to fight the disease:
“I need a heart so pure that if it’s stripped bare by dementia, it will survive.”
Let’s return to your own life. Looking ahead, can you think of a situation where you may want to follow elements of the predictability approach? What may be the specific piece of work you want to do?
How can you make things as predictable as possible? How can you manage both the predictable and unpredictable events? How can you do your best to work towards the picture of success?
If wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
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