The Six Performance Forces

We believe that sustainable performance is based on six performance forces. At times we each favour a particular force as each one comes ‘on stream’ at a different stage of life, prompted by natural growth and the life challenges we face. Any single force has the capacity to disrupt, distort or de-rail performance if taken to an extreme or unbalanced by the other forces. The art lies in ensuring there’s reliable access to the right combination of forces for your particular context and ambition. And that’s where Performance1 adds value – pragmatically helping you identify and develop the performance forces that will have the greatest impact on your future success.

Healthy motivation

Evolution is driven by the need to survive, and self interest unlocks the motivation and energy needed to identify and respond quickly to opportunities. Healthy motivation provides the passion and fire that defines the very best competitors.

Capacity to collaborate

No-one does it all alone, and the ability to forge strong, mutually rewarding working relationships is essential. There are also times when a team’s identity needs to be more prominent than the individuals who combine to create it. And in a fast-moving world, teams are more diverse and more short-lived than ever, so collaboration has to happen fast and effectively.

High levels of expertise

True mastery takes time to develop, but once achieved it provides a competitive advantage. Whilst many management and leadership competencies are transferable, there are also key, value-adding skills that have to be grounded in your specific domain. It’s essential to understand what these elements are, how to protect them, and how to grow them.

Ability to deliver results

At Olympic level, it takes four years for a second chance. So it’s essential to leave no stone unturned in the detailed planning and preparation for a key event. Robust performance under pressure comes from having clear processes and objectives that allow people to deliver their expertise at the right time.

Comfort with complexity

Our world is becoming increasingly complex as more and more inter-connections are created and revealed. This places two distinct demands on leaders; the capacity to positively tolerate ambiguity and contain anxiety, and the intellectual capacity to think systemically about their domain and the broader environment. Together these allow thoughtful anticipation and response to change.

Connection with purpose

Sustained performance and long term change must be driven by a compelling and authentic purpose that transcends individual agendas. Successful leaders articulate their organisation’s purpose and help create alignment and connection which marshal all the performance forces.

We use the Leadership Development Profile (LDF) in our individual work, and our Team Capability Survey with teams, to provide a robust assessment of access to the Performance Forces.