8 steps to high performance focus on what you can change (ignore the rest)

“8 Steps to High Performance provides the advice, encouragement, and straight talk to put you on a proven path to higher performance.” —SEAN CONNOLLY MARC EFFRON is the founder and President of the Talent Strategy Group where he leads the firm’s global consulting, education, executive search, and publishing businesses He advises the world’s premier organizations on how to build highperforming talent Marc founded and publishes Talent Quarterly magazine and is coauthor of the bestselling book, One Page Talent Management (Harvard Business Review Press) “Marc Effron has effortlessly fused insights derived through consulting, research, and observation into this book I wish I had access to such a book early in my career! The best part is the ease with which he delivers these concepts and practical ideas to the reader—that is his high performance!” —SANTRUPT MISRA CEO, Carbon Black and Director, Global HR, Aditya Birla Group “Effron has a knack for seeing the big picture and explaining it as a series of concise scientific concepts, and this is what he achieves in Steps to High Performance Effron excels at simplifying what can seem daunting to help readers focus on practical ways to improve performance.” —TIM RICHMOND Senior Vice President, Human Resources, AbbVie Inc “Marc Effron’s compact guide to career enhancement stands out for three reasons.  First, he knows what he’s talking about; Effron is a highly skilled manager and consultant who draws on a vast range of personal experience to justify his recommendations. Second, the book is briskly written, utterly accessible, and loaded with common sense. But third and most important, his recommendations are based on an extensive reading of the empirical literature; this is data-based feedback at its best.” —ROBERT HOGAN, PhD President, Hogan Assessment Systems “8 Steps to High Performance follows a simple method that Effron delivered so effectively in One Page Talent Management: start with the science, keep it simple, and make it practical. This book’s clear messages—about what to and what not to do—make it a must-read for anyone who wants to perform better at work, regardless of level or age.” —MELANIE STEINBACH Vice President and Chief Talent Officer, McDonald’s Also by Marc Effron Steps to High Performance M I C H AEL B ENAB IB President and CEO, Conagra Brands EFFRON MANAG E ME NT US$30.00 With a foreword by Marshall Goldsmith, New York Times bestselling author of What Got You Here Won’t Get You There MARC EFFRON Steps to High Performance Focus On What You Can Change (Ignore the Rest) ISBN-13: 978-1-63369-397-5 STAY INFORMED JOIN THE DISCUSSION VISIT HBR.ORG FOLLOW @HARVARDBIZ ON TWITTER FIND US ON FACEBOOK AND LINKEDIN 90000 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW PRESS 781633 693975 There’s no shortage of advice out there on how to perform better, and better than others, at work The problem is knowing which methods are actually proven to work—and how you should act on them to get the best results In Steps to High Performance, talent expert and bestselling author Marc Effron cuts through the noise with his signature “science-based simplicity” approach to identify what matters most and show you how to optimally apply your time and effort to boost your performance It turns out that higher performance comes from doing many things well—but some of those things are not in your power to change Effron reveals the eight key factors you control and practical steps for improving yourself on each one You’ll learn: H  ow to set goals that create higher performance 2 W  hich behaviors predict higher performance in different situations How to quickly develop the most important capabilities Who to connect with and why HBR.ORG JAC KET DE S I GN : S T E P H A N I F I N KS What Really Works H  ow to understand and adapt to your company’s strategy Why you sometimes shouldn’t be the “genuine” you How to best manage your body to sustain your performance 8 How to avoid management fads that distract you from high performance Research-based, practical, and filled with selfassessments, tools, and templates to support your performance goals at work, this short, powerful book will help you and anyone on your team deliver outstanding results Steps to High Performance 251309_00a_i-xx_r1.indd i 17/05/18 12:54 AM 251309_00a_i-xx_r1.indd ii 17/05/18 12:54 AM MARC EFFRON Steps to High Performance Focus On What You Can Change (Ignore the Rest) H A RVA R D B U S I N E S S R E V I E W P R E S S BOSTON, MASSACHUSET TS 251309_00a_i-xx_r1.indd iii 17/05/18 12:54 AM HBR Press Quantity Sales Discounts Harvard Business Review Press titles are available at significant quantity discounts when purchased in bulk for client gifts, sales promotions, and premiums Special editions, including books with corporate logos, customized covers, and letters from the company or CEO printed in the front matter, as well as excerpts of existing books, can also be created in large quantities for special needs For details and discount information for both print and ebook formats, contact booksales@harvardbusiness.org, tel 800-988-0886, or www.hbr.org/bulksales Copyright 2018 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior permission of the publisher Requests for permission should be directed to permissions@hbsp.harvard edu, or mailed to Permissions, Harvard Business School Publishing, 60 Harvard Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02163 The web addresses referenced in this book were live and correct at the time of the book’s publication but may be subject to change Library of Congress cataloging-in-publication data is forthcoming eISBN: 978-1-63369-398-2 251309_00a_i-xx_r1.indd iv 17/05/18 12:54 AM So many people have shaped how I think about and approach my work on high performance Thank you to everyone who has taught me, challenged me, supported me, and guided me over the years My special thanks to my wife, Michelle, for her unfailing love and support for more than thirty years 251309_00a_i-xx_r1.indd v 17/05/18 12:54 AM 251309_00a_i-xx_r1.indd vi 17/05/18 12:54 AM CONTENTS Foreword by Marshall Goldsmith ix Preface xi Introduction: How to Be a High Performer Step 1: Set Big Goals 19 Step 2: Behave to Perform 37 Step 3: Grow Yourself Faster 63 Step 4: Connect 87 Step 5: Maximize Your Fit 109 Step 6: Fake It 131 Step 7: Commit Your Body 149 Step 8: Avoid Distractions 165 Conclusion Appendix Notes 177 179 185 Index 199 About the Author 251309_00a_i-xx_r1.indd vii 207 17/05/18 12:54 AM 251309_00a_i-xx_r1.indd viii 17/05/18 12:54 AM FOREWORD by Marshall Goldsmith Marc Effron, author of Leading the Way and One Page Talent Management, offers an exceptional road map for achieving our highest potential and our greatest level of performance in this, his latest book, Steps to High Performance I immediately knew I was going to love this book when Marc told me he bases it on a statement made by the father of modern management, Peter Drucker As with many of my own greatest insights on leadership, which are based on what I learned personally from Peter Drucker, Marc bases this work on Peter’s philosophy: “Do not try to change yourself You are unlikely to succeed But work hard to improve the way you perform.” There are eight steps suggested in this exceptional book All are important to your goal of achieving peak high performance One on which I’d love to offer a little insight to you is step six, “Fake it.” I love this step Marc describes it as follows: “A high performer cares about showing the right behaviors, not being their ‘genuine’ self You’ll learn that faking behaviors works, why it’s sometimes better than being the genuine you, and the situations where faking a new behavior matters most.” I refer to this as “Showtime.” I am inspired by great theater Every night, great performers pour their hearts into each production Some have headaches, some have family problems, but 251309_00a_i-xx_r1.indd ix 17/05/18 12:54 AM 194 Notes Timothy A Judge, Joyce E Bono, Remus Ilies, and Megan W Gerhardt, “Personality and Leadership: A Qualitative and Quantitative review,” Journal of Applied Psychology 87, no (2002): 765 Jeffrey Pfeffer, Managing with Power: Politics and Influence in Organizations (Boston: Harvard Business Press, 1992) Christopher F Karpowitz, Tali Mendelberg, and Lee Shaker, “Gender Inequality in Deliberative Participation,” American Political Science Review 106, no (2012): 533–547 10 Fred Luthans, “Successful vs Effective Real Managers,” Academy of Management Executive 2, no (1988): 127–132 11 Pfeffer, Managing with Power 12 Jeffrey Pfeffer, Power: Why Some People Have It—and Others Don’t (New York: HarperBusiness, 2010) 13 Timothy A Judge and Robert D Bretz Jr., “Political Influence Behavior and Career Success,” Journal of Management 20, no (1994): 43–65 14 Luthans et al., Real Managers 15 Mark A Griffin, Sharon K Parker, and Claire M Mason, “Leader Vision and the Development of Adaptive and Proactive Performance: A Longitudinal Study,” Journal of Applied Psychology 95, no (2010): 174 16 Luthans, “Successful vs Effective Real Managers.” 17 Angela Y Lee and Aparna A Labroo, “The Effect of Conceptual and Perceptual Fluency on Brand Evaluation,” Journal of Marketing Research 41, no (2004): 151–165 18 Chad A Higgins, Timothy A Judge, and Gerald R Ferris, “Influence Tactics and Work Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis,” Journal of Organizational Behavior 24, no (2003): 89–106 19 Pfeffer, Power: Why Some People Have It—and Others Don’t Step 7: Commit Your Body Allison G Harvey, Kathleen Stinson, Katriina L Whitaker, Damian Moskovitz, and Harvinder Virk, “The Subjective Meaning of Sleep Quality: A Comparison of Individuals with and without Insomnia,” Sleep 31, no (2008): 383–393 Brett Litwiller, Lori Anderson Snyder, William D Taylor, and Logan M Steele, “The Relationship between Sleep and Work: A MetaAnalysis,” Journal of Applied Psychology 102, no (2017): 682–699 251309_99c_185-198_r1.indd 194 16/05/18 5:39 PM Notes 195 June J Pilcher, Douglas R Ginter, and Brigitte Sadowsky, “Sleep Quality versus Sleep Quantity: Relationships between Sleep and Measures of Health, Well-Being and Sleepiness in College Students,” Journal of Psychosomatic Research 42, no (1997): 583–596 Litwiller et al., “The Relationship between Sleep and Work.” Patrick H Finan, Phillip J Quartana, and Michael T Smith, “The Effects of Sleep Continuity Disruption on Positive Mood and Sleep Architecture in Healthy Adults,” Sleep 38, no 11 (2015): 1735–1742 Max Hirshkowitz et al., “National Sleep Foundation’s Sleep Time Duration Recommendations: Methodology and Results Summary,” Sleep Health 1, no (2015): 40–43 Gandhi Yetish et al., “Natural Sleep and Its Seasonal Variations in Three Pre-industrial Societies,” Current Biology 25, no 21 (2015): 2862–2868 Yvonne Harrison and James A Horne, “The Impact of Sleep Deprivation on Decision Making: A Review,” Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied 6, no (2000): 236 Melinda Beck, “The Sleepless Elite, Why Some People Can Run on Little Sleep and Get So Much Done,” Wall Street Journal, April 5, 2011, https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1000142405274870371250457624270175 2957910 10 Michael T Lin et al., M Flint Beal, and David K Simon, “Somatic Mitochondrial DNA Mutations in Early Parkinson and Incidental Lewy Body Disease,” Annals of Neurology 71, no (2012): 850–854 11 J Horne, “The End of Sleep: ‘Sleep Debt’ versus Biological Adaptation of Human Sleep to Waking Needs,” Biological Psychology 87, no (2011): 1–14 12 Gregory Belenky at al., “Patterns of Performance Degradation and Restoration during Sleep Restriction and Subsequent Recovery: A Sleep Dose-Response Study,” Journal of Sleep Research 12, no (2003): 1–12 13 Ester Zylber-Katz, Liora Granit, and Micha Levy, “Relationship between Caffeine Concentrations in Plasma and Saliva,” Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics 36, no (1984): 133–137 14 Christopher Drake, Timothy Roehrs, John Shambroom, and Thomas Roth, “Caffeine Effects on Sleep Taken 0, 3, or Hours before Going to Bed,” Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine 9, no 11 (2013): 1195–1200 15 Ahmad Afaghi, Helen O’Connor, and Chin Moi Chow, “HighGlycemic-Index Carbohydrate Meals Shorten Sleep Onset,” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 85, no (2007): 426–430 251309_99c_185-198_r1.indd 195 16/05/18 5:39 PM 196 Notes 16 S H A Holt, H J Delargy, C L Lawton, and J E Blundell, “The Effects of High- Carbohydrate vs High-Fat Breakfasts on Feelings of Fullness and Alertness, and Subsequent Food Intake,” International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition 50, no (1999): 13–28 17 James P Burton, Jenny M Hoobler, and Melinda L Scheuer, “Supervisor Workplace Stress and Abusive Supervision: The Buffering Effect of Exercise,” Journal of Business and Psychology 27, no (2012): 271–279 18 Amber J Tietzel and Leon C Lack, “The Short-Term Benefits of Brief and Long Naps Following Nocturnal Sleep Restriction,” Sleep 24, no (2001): 293–300 19 Sara C Mednick, Denise J Cai, Jennifer Kanady, and Sean P A Drummond, “Comparing the Benefits of Caffeine, Naps and Placebo on Verbal, Motor and Perceptual Memory,” Behavioural Brain Research 193, no (2008): 79–86 20 Tom M McLellan, John A Caldwell, and Harris R Lieberman, “A Review of Caffeine’s Effects on Cognitive, Physical and Occupational Performance,” Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 71 (2016): 294–312 21 Crystal F Haskell, David O Kennedy, Keith A Wesnes, and Andrew B Scholey, “Cognitive and Mood Improvements of Caffeine in Habitual Consumers and Habitual Non-consumers of Caffeine,” Psychopharmacology 179, no (2005): 813–825 22 Yu-Kai Chang, J D Labban, J I Gapin, and Jennifer L Etnier, “The Effects of Acute Exercise on Cognitive Performance: A Meta-Analysis,” Brain Research 1453 (2012): 87–101 23 Charles H Hillman, Kirk I Erickson, and Arthur F Kramer, “Be Smart, Exercise Your Heart: Exercise Effects on Brain and Cognition,” Nature Reviews Neuroscience 9, no (2008): 58–65 24 Chang et al., “The Effects of Acute Exercise on Cognitive Performance: A Meta-Analysis.” 25 Ibid 26 Ibid 27 Ibid Step 8: Avoid Distractions Robert E Kaplan and Robert B Kaiser, Fear Your Strengths: What You Are Best at Could Be Your Biggest Problem (San Francisco: 251309_99c_185-198_r1.indd 196 16/05/18 5:39 PM Notes 197 Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2013); Silvia Moscoso and Jesús F Salgado, “‘Dark Side’ Personality Styles as Predictors of Task, Contextual, and Job Performance,” International Journal of Selection and Assessment 12, no (2004): 356–362 D L Joseph, J Jin, D A Newman, and E H O Boyle, “Why Does Self-reported Emotional Intelligence Predict Job Performance? A MetaAnalytic Investigation of Mixed EI,” Journal of Applied Psychology 100 (2015): 298–342 Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, “Emotional Intelligence Is Not Quite Total B.S.,” Talent Quarterly, no 14 (August 2017): 41–43 Joseph et al., “Why Does Self-reported Emotional Intelligence Predict Job Performance?,” 298 D L Joseph and D A Newman, “Emotional Intelligence: An Integrative Meta-Analysis and Cascading Model,” Journal of Applied Psychology 95, no (2010): 54 Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool, “Malcolm Gladwell Got Us Wrong: Our Research Was Key to the 10,000-Hour Rule, But Here’s What Got Oversimplified,” Salon, April 10, 2016, http://www.salon.com/2016/ 04/10/malcolm_gladwell_got_us_wrong_our_research_was_ key_ to_the_10000_hour_rule_but_heres_what_got_oversimplified/ David Z Hambrick, Erik M Altmann, Frederick L Oswald, Elizabeth J Meinz, Fernand Gobet, and Guillermo Campitelli, “Accounting for Expert Performance: The Devil Is in the Details,” Intelligence 45 (2014): 112–114 Angela Duckworth, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2016) M Credé, M C Tynan, and P D Harms, “Much Ado about Grit: A Meta-Analytic Synthesis of the Grit Literature,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 113, no (2017) 10 Bill George, “The Truth About Authentic Leaders,” Harvard Business School Working Knowledge, July 16, 2016, http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/ the-truth-about-authentic-leaders#comments 11 Todd Schofield, “How to Adopt the Silicon Valley Mindset,” Standard Chartered, Beyond Borders, https://www.sc.com/BeyondBorders/adoptsilicon-valley-mindset/ 12 Heidi Grant and Carol S Dweck, “Clarifying Achievement Goals and Their Impact,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 85, no (2003): 541 251309_99c_185-198_r1.indd 197 16/05/18 5:39 PM 198 Notes 13 Carol S Dweck and Ellen L Leggett, “A Social- Cognitive Approach to Motivation and Personality,” Psychological Review 95, no (1988): 256 14 Ian J Deary et al., “The Stability of Individual Differences in Mental Ability from Childhood to Old Age: Follow-up of the 1932 Scottish Mental Survey,” Intelligence 28, no (2000): 49–55 15 Kira O McCabe, Nico W Van Yperen, Andrew J Elliot, and Marc Verbraak, “Big Five Personality Profiles of Context-Specific Achievement Goals,” Journal of Research in Personality 47, no (2013): 698–707 16 Dana R Carney, Amy J C Cuddy, and Andy J Yap, “Power Posing: Brief Nonverbal Displays Affect Neuroendocrine Levels and Risk Tolerance,” Psychological Science 21, no 10 (2010): 1363–1368 17 Maquita Peters, “‘Power Poses’ Co-Author: ‘I Do Not Believe the Effects Are Real,’” National Public Radio, October 1, 2016, http:// www.npr.org/2016/10/01/496093672/power-poses-co-author-i-donot-believe-the-effects-are-real; Eva Ranehill et al., “Assessing the Robustness of Power Posing: No Effect on Hormones and Risk Tolerance in a Large Sample of Men and Women,” Psychological Science 26, no (2015): 653–656 Appendix Samuel D Gosling, Peter J Rentfrow, and William B Swann, “A Very Brief Measure of the Big-Five Personality Domains,” Journal of Research in Personality 37, no (2003): 504–528 251309_99c_185-198_r1.indd 198 16/05/18 5:39 PM INDEX accountability, 129 Baker, Bobby, 89 adapting quickly, 42, 50–53 balance, 13–14 derailers and, 55 barriers, 16–17 advice, asking for, 97, 125 to avoiding distractions, 174–175 aerobic exercise, 160, 161 to behaving to perform, 59–61 agreeableness, 45, 46, 182 to committing your body, 162 alcohol, 156–157 to connecting, 105–106 alignment, xiii, to faking it, 146–147 goals and, 22, 26–27 to growing yourself faster, 82–84 See also fit, maximizing to high performance, 16–17 Amazon, 119 to maximizing fit, 128–129 ambition, 140 to setting goals, 34–36 Apple Computer, 40, 41 baseline behaviors, 46 assessment Basic Underwater Demolition/ biases in self-, 16–17 SEAL (BUD/S) training, of connections, 102, 103–104 151–152 of derailers, 55–57 fit matrix for, 118, 119–122, 129 behaving to perform, xv, 6, 37–62 adapting quickly and, 42, 50–53 authenticity versus, 171–172 personality, 44, 50, 181–183 barriers to, 59–61 self-, inaccuracy of, 50 baseline behaviors in, 46 360-degree, 52–53 choosing behaviors in, 42, 46–50 attention, gaining, 138–140 coaching and, 25 authenticity, 44, 128, 171–172 See company culture and, 57–58 also faking it Authentic Leadership (George), 171–172 251309_99d_199-206_r1.indd 199 control of, 43–44 derailers versus, 54–57 development plans and, 82, 125 16/05/18 5:38 PM 200 Index behaving to perform (continued) career satisfaction, 92 “emergence” behaviors and, Caro, Robert A., 89–90 138–140 cautiousness, 56, 57 experiences versus, 76 challenges, setting goals and, 24–25 faking it, 44 Chamorro-Premuzic, Tomas, 169 how it works, 42–57 change how others see you and, 42, 43 company needs around, 118 importance of, 41–42 faking it and, 147 leadership behaviors and, 39–41 fit maximization and, 121–122 maximizing fit and, 124, 126 pace of, 115–117 performance drivers and, 48–49 in your company’s needs, 117–118 personality versus, 10–11 coaching, 22, 23, 25 saying yes and, 97 goals and, 32–34 transformational leadership and, honesty in, 141, 143 47–48 understanding yourself and, 42–46 See also faking it Bezos, Jeff, 119 biases, 11, 16–17 body, 9, 11 boldness, 56, 57 2+2, 32–34 Coca- Cola, 111–113 colorful behavior, 56, 57 commitment feedback and, 52–53 to goals, 28 committing your body, xvi, 7, 146, 149–163 Bono, 11 barriers to, 162 boundaries, real and perceived, xix control over, 161–162 Brody, Adrien, 133 diet, 152, 157, 158, 161 business units, 128 exercise, 159–161 buy/sell/hold exercise, 142–143 importance of, 152–153 science on, 153–155 sleep, 153–159 caffeine, 156, 159 capabilities what to when, 155–159 communication, 138, 141–142, 155 career stages and, 111–113 competency models, 82–83 goals and, 23 competitive edge, 140 maximizing fit and, 109–130 confirmation bias, 17 for performance drivers, 48–49 connections, xv, 6, 87–107 practice and, 170 assessment of, 102, 103–104 understanding your natural fit barriers to, 105–106 and, 119 See also growing yourself faster 251309_99d_199-206_r1.indd 200 benefits of, 91–93 delivering what matters and, 94 16/05/18 5:38 PM Index emerging leaders and, 137–140 external networks, 98–102 distractions, avoiding, xvi, 7, 165–175 friendships, 95–96 barriers to, 174–175 importance of, 90–93 focusing on your strengths and, managing up and, 145 168–169 with peers, 96–97 grit and, 171 planning sheet for, 103–104 growth mindset, 172–173 purposeful, 100–101 importance of, 167–168 with subordinates, 97 power posing, 173–174 transformational leadership and, practice, 170 47 what to do, 93–102 with your manager, 93–96 conscientiousness, 44, 45, 46, 171, 182 context, 92 201 true versus false claims about performance and, 4–5 diversity, 129 Drucker, Peter, ix Dunning-Kruger effect, 50 dutiful behavior, 56, 57 conversations, questions for maintaining, 99 corporate life cycle, 111 Edison, Thomas, 155 cost, goals and, 30–31 education, 12, 65–66, 67–68, 83 creativity, 155 efficiency, 14 credibility, 98 eight-step quick audit, Cuban, Mark, 39–40 emerging leaders, 137–140, 143 culture, corporate, emotional intelligence, 169–170 behaving to perform and, 57–58 maximizing fit and, 114–115 performance drivers and, 48–49 emotional stability, 44–45, 46, 182–183 excitability, 56, 57 executive functions, 154–155, 160 exercise, 7, 146, 152, 158, 159–161 Daft, Doug, 112–113 derailing behaviors, 54–57 experiences, 67–68, 69, 72–78 company values around, 83–84 effective leadership and, 140–141 functional, 73–74 fi xing, 60–61 management, 73–74 development processes, 79–81, 129 See also growing yourself faster small companies and, 84 experts, interviewing, 74–75 diet, 7, 152, 157, 158, 161 external consultants, 101–102 differentiation, 41, 138 extrinsic motivation, 24 diligence, 56, 57 extroversion, 45, 92, 98–99, 100, 182 dishonesty, 146 Exxon Mobil, 119 251309_99d_199-206_r1.indd 201 16/05/18 5:38 PM 202 Index failure closing gaps in, 124, 126–127 externalization of, 16 importance of, 113–115 risk of, 26 science on, 115–117 setting goals and, 35–36 understanding natural, 119–124 faking it, ix–x, xv, 7, 44, 131–147 as an emerging leader, 137–140 barriers to, 146–147 behaving to perform and, 171–172 connections and, 105 demonstrating power, 137, 143–146 effective leadership and, 137, 140–143 understanding your company’s changing needs and, 117–118 what companies contribute to, 116–117 what you contribute to, 116 fi xed 50 percent, 1–2, 9–12, 24 change and, 115–116 faking it and, 136 networking and, 98–99 importance of, 134–135 fi xed mindset, 172–173 making your boss happy and, 144, flattery, 95, 139–140, 144–145 145–146 science on, 135–136 skill in, 134–135 feedback, 25 flexible 50 percent, 2, 12 focus goals and, 28–29 on strengths, 168–169 asking for, 50–52 foreign experiences, 82 on behavior, 50–53 framing, 22–23, 31–32 feedforward, 33, 51–52 friendships, 95–96, 139–140 flattery, 95 from/to framework, 69–72 from/to statements and, 71–72 in growing yourself faster, 68 growing yourself faster and, 69, 79–81 experiences for, 73–74 functional experiences, 73–74, 76, 78 fundamental attribution error, 16 selecting people for, 61 self-assessment versus, 50 360-degree assessment, 52–53 Gallup, 168 See also coaching Gandhi, Mahatma, 11 feedforward, 33, 51–52 growing yourself faster and, 69, 79–81 Gates, Bill, 65 gender, 11, 136 geographic experiences, 78 Filo, David, 39 George, Bill, 171–172 fit, maximizing, x, xvi, 7, 105, 109–130 Giles of Viterbo, 22 assessment of natural fit and, 118, 119–122 barriers to, 128–129 251309_99d_199-206_r1.indd 202 Gladwell, Malcolm, 4, 170 goals, big, x, xiv–xvii, 6, 19–36 aligned, 22 16/05/18 5:38 PM Index avoiding distractions and, 171 imaginative behavior, 56, 57 barriers to, 34–36 impression management, 134–135 coaching and, 32–34 influence, 89–90 See also combining activities into, 29 determining your from/to and, 69–72 “fewer bigger” mindset on, 26 networking ingratiation, 91–92, 93, 144–145 innovation, 155 transformational leadership and, 47 framing, 22–23, 31–32 inspiration, 48 importance of, 23 intelligence, 9–10, 67, 173 increasing, 22, 30–31 number of and achievement, 25 203 emotional, 169–170 interpersonal skills, 48–49 interviews with experts, 74–75 prioritizing, 29–30 intrinsic motivation, 24 promising, 22, 27–30 introversion, 92, 98–99 science on, 24–25 Isaacson, Walter, 40 Goizueta, Bob, 111–112 Isdell, Neville, 113 Goldsmith, Marshall, ix–x, 51 Ivester, Doug, 111–112 Google, 39–40 grit, 171 growing yourself faster, x, 6, 63–85 Jobs, Steve, 40, 41 job satisfaction, 93 barriers to, 82–84 Johnson, Lyndon, 89–90, 144 cycle in, 68 Julius II, Pope, 21–23 determining your from/to and, 69–72 experiences, and personal knowledge, 10 experience maps for, 72–78 feedback and feedforward for, 69, 79–81 leadership importance of, 66 authenticity and, 171–172 science on, 66–68 behaviors, 39–41 70/20/10 ratio in, 67–68 effective, 137, 140–143 growth mindset, 172–173 emerging, 137–140, 143 emotional intelligence and, 169–170 height, 11 transformational, 47–48 help, asking for, 97, 99 learning cycle, 68 Hogan, Robert, 55–57 leisurely behavior, 56, 57 Hogan Assessments, 55–57 life-cycle experiences, 78 251309_99d_199-206_r1.indd 203 16/05/18 5:38 PM 204 Index management experiences, 73–74, 76, 78 management fads, xvi, 7, 173–174, Navy SEALs, 151–152 networking, x, 6, 87–107, 101 external, 98–102, 101–102 175 See also distractions, managing up and, 145 avoiding See also connections managers asking about goals, 27 New Talent Management Network, 101 behaving to perform and, 59 norm of reciprocity, 97, 99 connecting with, 93–96, 105–106 nutrition, 158 gaining experiences and, 83–84 goal setting and, 34, 35 growing yourself faster and, 79–81 One Page Talent Management (Effron & Ort), xiii, 31–32 maximizing fit and, 128 openness to experience, 45, 46, 183 sharing your insights with, Ort, Miriam, xiii, 31–32 124–125 Outliers (Gladwell), 4, 170 understanding the “one thing” of, 79–80 managing up, 139, 144–145 PayPal, 65–66 measurable goals, 31–32 performance, high memory, 160 advantages in, 1–2, 177 mere exposure effect, 144 barriers to, 16–17 Michelangelo, 21–23 behaviors predicting, 46–50 Microsoft, 41 benefits of, 2–3 mindset, 13–14, 26 connections and, 94 for development, 81 definition of high, xiii experiences and, 73 eight steps to high, xiii–xvii, 6–8 on feedback, 50–52 fads on, 7, 165–175 goal setting and, 27–28 fi xed 50 percent in, 1–2, 9–12, 24 growth, 172–173 flexible 50 percent in, mischievousness, 56, 57 high potential versus, 14–15 modeling, 48 managing your fit and, 124–125 moods, 154, 155, 157, 158 relationships and, 92 motivation, 24–25 relativity of, 15 science on, xi–xii self-assessment on, naps, 156, 158–159 National Sleep Foundation, 154, 162 251309_99d_199-206_r1.indd 204 theoretical maximum, 17–18, 25, 152 16/05/18 5:38 PM Index tools on, 179–183 quality, goals and, 30–31 true and false claims about, 4–5 quantity, goals and, 30–31 205 what you deliver versus what your company needs you to deliver, 114 race bias, 11 performance drivers, 48–49 reciprocity, 97, 99 personal experience maps, 74–78, relationships See connections 80 personality, 9, 10–11 assessment of, 44, 50, 181–183 reputation, 96–97 research, for goal setting, 27 behaving to perform and, 42–46 reserved behavior, 56, 57 Big elements of, 44–46 resistance training, 161 connections/influence and, resources, access to, 90 92–93 derailers and, 60–61 results orientation, 3, 21–23 Russell, Richard, 89–90 faking it and, 136 how others see you and, 42, 43 motivation and, 24 sacrifice, 13–14 where you fit and, 119–124 saying yes, 97 person-organization fit, 115–117 See also fit, maximizing science applying insights from, xii–xiii Pfeffer, Jeffrey, 91, 140 on behaving to perform, 42–57 physical attractiveness, 1–2, 11 on committing your body, 152–159 Pianist, The (movie), 133 conclusive, point of view, having and on connecting, 91–93 expressing, 138–139 fads and, 167 politics, 93 on faking it, 135–136 potential, 14–15 on growing yourself faster, 66–68 power, 91, 137, 143–146 levels of proof and, power posing, 173–174 on maximizing fit, 115–117 practice, 4, 170 on performance, xi–xii in faking in, 147 private equity firms, 48–49 on setting goals, 24–25 true and false claims and, 4–5, 174 promises, 22, 27–30 science-based simplicity, xiv–xvi promotions, 3, 92 self-awareness, 157 proof, levels of, self-consciousness, 99–100 psychopathy, 169 self-image, 25 purpose, 100–101 251309_99d_199-206_r1.indd 205 feedback and, 33 16/05/18 5:38 PM 206 Index selflessness, 97 TED talks, 167, 171 self-promotion, 138–140 Ten-Item Personality Inventory, 44, 70/20/10 ratio, 67–68, 72 Shanley, Jim, 69 Simple concept, 31–32 50, 181–183 theoretical maximum performance, 17–18, 25, 152 simplicity, science-based, xiv–xvi Thiel, Peter, 65–66 Sistine Chapel, 21–23 Thiel Fellowship, 65–66 skepticism, 56, 57 360-degree assessment, 52–53 skills, 23 See also growing yourself transformational leadership, 47–48 faster development plans and, 82, 125 Trump, Donald, 155 trust, 145 experiences versus, 76 for performance drivers, 48–49 sleep, 4, 7, 146, 152–159, 162–163 values, 60 deprivation, 159 venture capital firms, 48–49 quality versus quantity, 153–157 Verizon, 41 socioeconomic background, 1–2, 9, 12 visibility, 144 vision, 48, 141–142 speaking up, 144 speed, goals and, 30 stack ranking, 30 weaknesses, 169 Stewart, Martha, 155 weight, 11 strategy weight lifters, 17–18 in making connections, 100–101 maximizing fit with, 115, 117–118, 123 strengths, focusing on, 168–169 What Got You Here Won’t Get You There (Goldsmith), 51 work environment preferences, 117, 119 sucking up, 139–140 working styles/preferences, 116 Summers, Larry, 65–66 work/nonwork balance, 13–14 support, 15 Szpilman, Wladyslaw, 133 Yahoo!, 39–41 Yang, Jerry, 39–41 talent, assessing and upgrading, 141, 142–143 teams, 129, 138, 143 251309_99d_199-206_r1.indd 206 Zuckerberg, Mark, 65 16/05/18 5:38 PM ABOUT THE AUTHOR MARC EFFRON is the founder and president of the Talent Strategy Group, where he leads the firm’s global consulting, education, executive search, and publishing businesses His clients include the world’s largest and most complex organizations in the for-profit, not-for-profit, and NGO sectors Effron’s signature approach to talent management, as espoused in his books and his consulting, is science-based simplicity He founded and publishes Talent Quarterly magazine and is the coauthor of the bestselling Harvard Business Review Press book One Page Talent Management He also cofounded the Talent Management Institute at the University of North Carolina Before forming the Talent Strategy Group, Marc served as vice president, talent management, for Avon Products and led the global leadership consulting practice for Aon Hewitt He was also senior vice president, leadership development, for Bank of America and a congressional staff assistant Marc is a sought-after speaker on talent management and leadership topics by both corporations and conferences 251309_99e_207-208_r1.indd 207 16/05/18 5:38 PM 251309_99e_207-208_r1.indd 208 16/05/18 5:38 PM .. .8 Steps to High Performance 251309_00a_i-xx_r1.indd i 17/05/ 18 12:54 AM 251309_00a_i-xx_r1.indd ii 17/05/ 18 12:54 AM MARC EFFRON Steps to High Performance Focus On What You Can Change (Ignore. .. 251309_00b_001-0 18_ r1.indd 16/05/ 18 11:53 PM STEPS TO HIGH PERFORMANCE The Eight Steps What you control that’s scientifically proven to improve your performance? The conclusive science suggests eight steps. .. nutrition? The only way to determine what to include and what to leave out was to read the academic research on every possible performance topic and decide if the findings justified inclusion in the