The bad news is that most business cultures are not using the principles of DP.\u00a0 It\u2019s cheaper and less risky to stick you in a job doing things you already know how to do and keep you there.\u00a0 And the feedback you get may not be continuous, or useful.<\/p>\n

Of course, this means that the opportunities for achieving advantage by adopting the principles of great performance are huge.\u00a0 A few companies realize that.\u00a0 They embed mentoring and coaching in the culture, use developmental assignments, and put people through high-fidelity simulations.<\/p>\n

But if you want to try it yourself, there are things you should do before, during, and after the work.<\/p>\n

Before the work:<\/strong>\u00a0 Set goals, not only for outcomes, but for how you will achieve the outcomes.\u00a0 Top performers focus on the process, and even on one aspect of the process.<\/p>\n

During the work:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 Self-regulate.\u00a0 Be mindful of what\u2019s happening in the moment.\u00a0 Top distance runners scan their heart rate and breathing patterns to maintain a target ratio between steps and breaths.\u00a0 Average runners tend to think about anything other than what they\u2019re doing because what they\u2019re doing is painful.\u00a0 Even in purely mental work, elite performers monitor what they\u2019re thinking\u2014it\u2019s called metacognition\u2014knowledge about knowledge, thinking about your own thinking.<\/p>\n

After the work:\u00a0 <\/strong>Assess yourself against a chosen standard.\u00a0 Average people are content to say they did well, okay or poorly.\u00a0 Top performers are more specific. \u00a0They measure themselves against a standard that is relevant to what they are trying to achieve.\u00a0 Such a standard could be their last effort, or the results achieved by a competitor, or the world record.\u00a0 Too high a standard is of course discouraging.\u00a0 Too low a standard produces no advancement.<\/p>\n

What you do with the evaluation of your performance will determine your success.\u00a0 Chances are your performance wasn\u2019t perfect, and parts of it were unpleasant.\u00a0 Elite performers respond by changing their approach, trying new behaviors, and getting back into the task.\u00a0 Average performers are more likely to avoid the unpleasant parts, and go back to what felt easy.<\/p>\n

What you want\u2014deeply want\u2014is fundamental to success.\u00a0 Deliberate Practice is hard.\u00a0 It demands sacrifice now for results later.\u00a0 You have to want the results badly to put up with the sacrifice.<\/p>\n

And you must believe in the work\u2014believe that it will bring you the results you\u2019re looking for.\u00a0\u00a0 Without that belief, you will not have the ability to endure the difficulties. You will begin to think that you just don\u2019t have the talent.\u00a0 And when you think that, you will stop working.\u00a0\u00a0 And that will be the end of your development.<\/p>\n

The price of top-level achievement is high.\u00a0 Few are willing to pay it.\u00a0 But most of us can learn how to use the elements of Deliberate Practice and put them to work for our own purposes.<\/p>\n

Those who do will stand out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/em>
\n<\/em><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"