Great workers build on where they deliver As, rather than Bs or Cs. They follow their passion and translate this into peak performance. So how can you identify such a niche in your own work? One approach is to focus on where you score highly on desire, discipline and delivery. You can then keep developing in this area to produce great performances. Let’s explore these themes.

1) You can focus on desire.

What are the specific activities where your desire is at least 8/10? You may love encouraging certain kinds of people, solving particular problems, working in retail, leading turnarounds, doing business deals, playing in a specific position in a sports team, performing certain kinds of music, developing unique web sites or whatever.

“This was an interesting test for me,” said one person. “There are certain areas where I score highly on the other Ds – discipline and delivery – but I now have little desire to these things. So I focused on the specific activities where I scored high on desire as well as the other Ds.”

Where does this happen for you? You may do fine work in certain areas, but your drive to do this may fluctuate during your life and work. For example, during different times of my life I have had the burning desire to run therapeutic communities, coach football teams, write books, run super team workshops and do one-to-one mentoring. Whilst a person’s vocation may stay the same throughout their life, their desire to express this through various vehicles may vary over the years. Great performers accept this process. They focus on the activities that give them positive energy, whilst also recognising that these may change at various points during their lives.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. First, brainstorm the activities where you desire to do them is at least 8/10. Second, focus on one you would like to develop. Third, rate your desire to pursue and develop this activity. Do this on a scale 0 – 10. Try completing the following sentences.

The specific activities where my
desire to do them is at least 8/10 are:

*

*

*

The specific activity I would
like to focus on developing is:

*

The desire I have to pursue and
develop this activity is: ____ / 10

2) You can focus on discipline.

Peak performers often have an OCD tendency in the areas where they are brilliant. (By OCD, I mean Obsessive Compulsive Discipline, rather than ‘Disorder’.) They are naturally self-disciplined in those areas. They work to take control, be organised and stay ahead of the game. This gives them the space to be spontaneous or deal with any unexpected difficulties.

“I definitely have some aspects of OCD,” said one retailer. “When visiting supermarkets, I find myself pulling the tins forward to make sure they are flush with the shelf. I have always been this way with things in retail. I love to get things organised – then get on with selling the products.”

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Looking at the area in which you want to specialise, how strong is your discipline? Rate this on a scale 8 – 10. Then describe the specific things you can do to maintain or improve your discipline in this area. Try completing the following sentences.

The specific activity I would
like to focus on developing is:

*

The rating I give myself in terms of being
disciplined in this specific activity is: ____ / 10

The specific things I can do to
maintain or improve this rating are:

*

*

*

3) You can focus on delivery.

Different people have different approaches to finishing. Some strive hard to reach the goal; others become more relaxed. They flow, focus and finish. There is no right or wrong approach. You will choose the one that helps you to produce the goods.

“I don’t feel any pressure about delivering,” said one person, talking about what they did best. “It is something that comes naturally. Some people get nervous when nearing the finishing line, but I become calm. I keep following the right principles until the job gets finished. Reflecting on the work, I clarify the lessons. Then it is on to the next project. The work is an ongoing circle. There is no difference between doing the job and finishing.”

Looking at the specific activity you want to develop, how do you rate yourself as delivering? What is your successful style for finishing? What do you do right? How can you maintain or improve your ability to produce the goods? Try completing the following sentences.

The specific activity I would
like to focus on developing is:

*

The rating I give myself in terms of
delivering in this specific activity is: ____ / 10

The specific things I can do to
maintain or improve this rating are:

*

*

*

So how can you do great work? One approach is to focus on where you score highly on desire, discipline and delivery. You can then pursue your passion, follow the key principles and achieve peak performance.

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