What the High Performer DOESN’T Know!

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BY CAROL QUINN

In tough economic times, like we are experiencing right now, many people are still afraid of losing their job. For employers who must cut back, they have to choose who stays and who goes. For some companies, the deciding factor is based on performance - top performers get to stay. Right now could be the perfect time to learn how High Performers are able to produce better results. Interestingly however, it’s what the High Performer doesn’t know that just might provide the greatest insight.

Achievement is not about luck. Nor is it about smooth sailing. When the road turns difficult those who achieve less typically use these difficulties as the reason for their lack of success. Yet under the same conditions High Performers are able to achieve the goal. If difficulties are the constant, why do some people fail while others succeed?  Achieving in the face of adversity negates the lesser performer’s alibi. To suggest that the determining factor in an outcome is the presence or absence of hindrances holds no credibility. To insinuate success is determined by extenuating circumstances implies that people are powerless puppets. Every time someone offers up an excuse or blames circumstances for an outcome they paint this picture. Placing blame is a tactic used to disown responsibility. This tactic uses powerlessness as a means to divert attention. It shifts the focus off of self and onto a convenient decoy.

As harmless as it may seem, the greatest damage is done to the one placing blame. Often considered socially acceptable and no big deal, its impact on achievement is destructive. It shuts down a process that must take place for a person to move forward. This places them in a holding pattern or at a stand still. Without forward progress all you can do is repeat what you’ve done over and over. It’s the proverbial hamster on a wheel. Unless it’s success that you are repeating, this is not how achievement happens.

All of us encounter difficult obstacles when pursing a goal. There is always struggle. However, what each person finds difficult varies. Not knowing how to successfully handle a difficulty has a way of taking us out of our comfort zone. At some point in the process feelings of discomfort inevitably arise and cause us to squirm. This is normal and typically occurs when obstacles appear. Some people are quick to react to halt this discomfort. Unequipped to handle the challenge, they mistake their anxiety as a sign it’s not meant to be. Rather than stay with it and learn, they head for the nearest exit. Often times the decision to do this is unconscious. Initially they may feel better but a down side exists. Their reaction is counterproductive to achievement. This quick reaction to “the squirm” feels like the natural thing to do but in fact, it sabotages their success. When a poor outcome follows, people aren’t just disappointed. They are shocked and dumbfounded as well. It’s as if they believe their fight or flight response was logical, correct and had no ill effect on their outcome. They ignore the fact that it did nothing to resolve their difficulty.

Each challenging situation requires a response. There is no such thing as no response. Doing nothing is a response. The effectiveness of our reaction is determined not by our opinion or justification of it but by the outcome it produces. Each disappointing outcome holds a lesson. Each desirable outcome gives encouragement and wisdom to share. Learning the lessons involve some personal ownership, correct analysis and an understanding of what was done right and what needs to change. Success involves problem-solving and learning something new. Trial and error, with emphasis on error, is part of the process until the desired result is achieved. “Never give up” is a saying that comes from those who’ve successfully made the journey. Life has a way of continuously presenting us with opportunities to try again and again. We can either move forward or repeat…it’s our choice. I am convinced when we don’t learn we repeat. I believe its God’s way of helping us to comprehend and master our great power to create and evolve. Each challenge we step into and conquer increases our confidence. It’s as if life wants us all to know how much power we really have to achieve our goals and live to our full potential.

For me, I know when I’m in a situation that makes me squirm. My mind makes a monster out of it. “Heck…Yes!” retreating makes sense. Mustering the courage to stay is the first change I have to make. This is a confusing time and an important crossroad. Instead of doing what I’ve always done and expecting a different outcome, I’m the one that has to do something different. I have to recognize and stop my auto-reaction that seems so right. I have to learn a new way. I know what doesn’t work but don’t know what does. This is the learning that must take place in order for each of us to achieve our goals.

Once you become aware of your automatic reaction and its impact, you can begin to learn how to produce different results. Personally, I had trouble seeing what I needed to alter in order to get better results, so I sought advice. I asked for another point of view. I carefully picked someone who had achieved success in the area I had not. I realized getting the right advice would speed up my learning  and reduce the agony that comes with repeated failure. I listen carefully to what my adviser had to say. I didn’t interrupt or use the time to defend my choice of behavior. I listened intently and learned what they did. I processed the information knowing the outcome would fall back on me. I had to make up my own mind what to do. It’s amazing. I have found that when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. It’s the student’s responsibility to make contact. With gratitude and appreciation, I recognize the gift of wisdom my mentors have given to me. When you are open and receptive, you will discover that those who have succeeded did something you did not. What may initially seem like a subtle or inconsequential difference can be the nugget of wisdom that propels you forward.

Learning is important but it’s not the final step. You must apply what you’ve learned in order to achieve your goal. This can be the toughest step of all. There are huge implications that keep people from taking this step. If these changes do indeed produce a better outcome then it truly means you have, and always have had, the power to affect your outcomes. Ponder the ramifications of that for a moment. As much as achievement and success are desired, some people are not yet willing to accept the reality of who they are and what they can do. It’s a BIG responsibility and it contradicts much of what we have learned in the past. Coming out of the darkness of denial and stepping into the light of truth makes the need to place blame obsolete. To ‘own’ failure involves righting oneself by learning and implementing the track that produces the desired outcome. Put another way - you must step up to the plate. What you can’t or don’t learn from a mentor, you can always figure out by tapping into the great power of your mind. It’s there you can find clarity, direction and solutions. Seek and you will find for there is always a source for a remedy. My greatest hope is that you come to understand this…if you don’t already.

How you respond to adversity may be more of a statement about your willingness, or unwillingness, to acknowledge your own power. What the High Performer doesn’t know can teach us a lot. The High Performer doesn’t know how to hurdle obstacles. They don’t know how to deal with their difficulties. They don’t know how to resolve their problems. And they don’t know how handle situations that make them squirm any better than you or I. The wisdom is they are us. We are all the same. The very nature of achievement places all of us into situations that make us squirm. When we miss the mark, it’s our willingness to acknowledge our role that makes it possible for us to correct our path. It’s through this correction that we let go of that which caused us to experience an undesirable outcome. It could be said the purpose of achievement is to lure each of us to awaken and make the changes that will lead to the ultimate discovery for all of mankind - the revealing of our great power…to ourselves.

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FINAL NOTES & LINKS:

1. NOW AVAILABLE IN E-BOOK: If you are committed to achieving great results…this is a MUST-READ! Have The Attitude! The Thinking That Makes Great Things Happen. It’s both educational and inspiring and can be downloaded right to your computer today. The e-book costs $13.50. Click HERE to purchase and download, or just to preview it.
2. SUBSCRIBE to The Hire/Higher Attitude Newsletter… if you haven’t already!
3. MOTIVATION-BASED INTERVIEWING (or “MBI”) TEACHES INTERVIEWERS HOW TO HIRE HIGH PERFORMERS: To preview the MBI Web Course free for one day, please click SUBSCRIBE and check the “Free Preview” Box.
4. CAROL QUINN, KEYNOTE SPEAKER, has an inspiring, almost unbelievable way of making even the most difficult challenges seem attainable. Her approach engages the listener, often in an introspective way, to bring out the High Perform that lies within us all. For your conference or corporate event, Carol’s presentation will set the tone and prime your attendees for everything that follows. For more information, click HERE.