The Law of Unlimited Performance: Show & Tell

I first wrote about The Law of Limited Performance in 2018 and have since been obsessed with the subject. The issue is nearly a business pandemic in today’s workplaces. I work with business owners, entrepreneurs, and executives globally, and they all discuss their frustration in finding employees who want to work, build a career, learn, and grow. Actually, all they want is people to work when they’re at work.

It is a powerfully important issue if you’re trying to build a business. So, I continue to read everything I can on the subject. This new wrinkle occurs with your current employees, sometimes in the ones that you trust the most to be dedicated to the job.

Before we start, I am not saying that you cannot trust anyone in your organization if you’re a business owner or employer. I’m just suggesting you look for the tell-tale signs and do things to prevent it. The research I found and continue to watch came from an article called “The Law of Limited Performance.” This law says that people will figure out the level of performance their manager will settle for, and if they can get away with it, they work at this new, limited level because, well, they’ve found they can get away with it. And now, they’ll  progress no further.

This is a common leadership dilemma for many managers, entrepreneurs, and business owners. A team is only as good as the expectations that they are held accountable for. If, as an owner or manager, you do not have high expectations of your team and these expectations are not clearly conveyed or understood, then it is not totally the team’s fault if they don’t perform in ways that you want or expect.

Just because you communicated your expectations to your team does not mean you communicated with them. You might have told them what you wanted, but the question is, did they understand what you want? We know that people learn in many ways. So, you need to truly understand how every one of your team members learns and remains, and then appropriately communicates to them. For instance, with some, you can tell them, and they get it. Others must be told and then followed up with through written reminders or instructions. But, if your team is not fully aware of your expectations, or for that matter, your mission vision or goals, then you are in trouble. So, when the end of the month or year rolls around and expectations are not met, then you, as an owner or manager, have no one to blame except yourself. It is your obligation to show and tell your people exactly what good looks like and then hold them accountable for those objectives.

The same law applies to individual success. Many people settle for less than they’re capable of because that extra mile is hard work and loaded with challenges, and no one holds them accountable. If you want more in life but are willing to settle for less, that’s your business, but understand that you are settling for less, and then just shut up. Stop yammering on about how the world owes you more. It doesn’t! Never has and never will.

The key to leadership and long-term personal and professional success is to always hold yourself and your team to high expectations. Stretch out and challenge yourself to see what you’re capable of. Sweat a little. Test yourself. Really push yourself with the expectation that, at some point, you’ll look in a mirror and say, “Wow, I didn’t know I could do that!”

It just might surprise you what you’re capable of.