Surely many managers of organizations and human resources managers have asked themselves more than once the following questions: How to ensure that all employees perform at their best? What are the main characteristics of a worker with maximum performance? How could a normal worker learn or acquire these characteristics?
According to several studies, it has been determined that high-performance workers, regardless of their profession or occupation, share a set of common characteristics and that, fortunately, a normal worker can develop maximum performance by emulating these shared traits..
Here are the nine characteristics shared by all people who have maximum performance.
First characteristic: Strong orientation towards goals.
People with high performance usually set clear and defined goals for themselves early in life (they want to be film directors, writers, athletes, scientists, etc.) and all elements of their lives direct them towards that goal.
Perhaps the key aspect when setting goals is to write them down, since it seems that they are more easily accomplished in this way. A LongitudinaI study conducted among Yale University Graduates in 1947 found that those students who scored their goals were nine times more successful than those who did not.
It seems that the action of writing down the goals makes us think clearly about where we are going and what activities we must carry out to achieve them.
Second characteristic: Constancy and persistence
People with high performance do not bow to defeat usually go ahead and persist until their goal is achieved.
In history we can see many personalities who, despite illnesses and accidents, did not give up on their wishes and continued to fight constantly until they achieved their goal. A clear example was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who, despite polio, became elected as President of the United States of America.
In a study conducted in the United States where large numbers of successful people were interviewed. Many of them noted that they achieved their greatest successes right after suffering major failures. It seems that failures allow people to gain valuable experience that allows them to fine-tune the actions that lead to success.
Third characteristic: Interpersonal skills.
Top-performing people usually get along with others, allowing them, at any given time, to get help and collaboration from others toward achieving the goal.
One study interviewed highly successful people who indicated, for the most part, that their achievements were due more to their interpersonal skills than their knowledge and experience.
Hence the importance of developing personal skills that allow them, despite the different personalities that may exist around them, to get along with everyone.
Characteristic Four: Taking risks
People with high performance usually run risks in order to break with the established allowing positive results that bring them closer to the goal.
However, it is important to observe two aspects that relate risk to success, and that is that regardless of the chances of success, if an event is repeated with persistence and consistency (second characteristic) that probability approaches 100 percent. The other aspect refers to the possibility of losing in the attempt and it is that people with high performance carefully evaluate the risk itself before taking it and only assume it if they can live in the worst case scenario. Otherwise, they don't risk it.
Fifth characteristic: Time management
High-performing people, especially those in the business area, usually master the art of managing their time perfectly so that they can devote all their effort to achieving their goal. However, to achieve this mastery it is necessary to avoid interruptions (meetings, visits and the telephone) as much as possible, which is often not easy.
A recent survey noted that large numbers of executives complain about wasting two months of each year in unnecessary meetings. Another study shows that when a locker is interrupted it requires an average time of 15 minutes to return to maximum efficiency.
However, we wonder when, then, should we attend to visits and phone calls? In this sense, the important thing is to set a time in the day for these activities (many people prefer that they be during the first hours of the morning) and try to keep that period for it.
Sixth characteristic: Stress management
High-performance people confess that despite being constantly subjected to stressful situations to achieve their goals, they maintain a balanced diet, a means that helps them relax, thus avoiding the harmful effects of stress.
Examples of means that help reduce stress are developing a daily exercise such as going for a walk, meditating, reading, taking a hot tub, etc. The important thing is to do it every day.
Seventh feature: The quest for challenge
Top-performing people are not satisfied with what they have, they look for challenges that bring them closer to their goals.
One study found that people with a higher degree of job satisfaction felt continually challenged beyond their abilities. Even many of them reported that they were afraid of being trapped in the comfort zone and that their greatest motivation to move forward was feeling challenged.
Eighth feature: Goal visualization
Many top performers reported that they visualized the smallest details about their particular goal in their minds. This technique helps the mind create a mind map that allows it to be followed.
Visualization involves closing our eyes and seeing ourselves doing the activities we want to do.
Characteristic 9: Believe firmly in your cause.
To be a high-performance person who achieves your goals, it is logically necessary to believe in yourself and in the goals. If you do not believe in yourself, chances are you cannot reach your goal because you will lack the energy necessary to do so.
Many studies, especially from the University of Southern California, indicate that ordinary people who practice the characteristics described above end up achieving high performance, which is a discovery in that area.
