As an Executive Coach, I am often asked to help solve incredibly complex, detailed problems. My clients are senior leaders with large teams and audacious agendas. Complex problems rule the day.
Just last week, a client sat across from me and told me four separate times that the problem he was facing was “very complicated.” Four times.
On the surface, I agree with him. His issue involved members of his board of directors, complex budget negotiations, and a history of tangled business relationships. I could see how he had fallen down the rabbit-hole into a confusing wonderland of competing priorities, constrained resources, and nuanced human interactions. He was mired in the muck and unable to move forward.
One of my roles as coach is to help increase my client’s awareness. It was in service to that goal that I reminded my client of Timothy Galwey’s powerful assertion about performance.
Galwey is a former tennis champion who famously taught a person to play a darn good game of tennis in less than half an hour. Now a well-known coach and author, Galwey asserts that all performance, in any arena, is simply the result of a person or situation’s potential less their interference.
For my client facing this complex situation, Galwey’s equation quieted the noise. Working together in our session that day, we were able to focus on the performance he wanted and the specific obstacles getting in his way. Once he clearly identified the obstacles, my client was able to devise a plan to remove the interference.
Galwey’s equation works across all types of performance issues leaders face. I encourage my clients in the messy middle of a corporate or leadership transformation follow these three steps to super-charge performance:
- What is the enormous, powerful potential of your situation?
- What specifically is interfering?
- How might you address that interference?
Sometimes my clients can run through this process quickly on their own before a large meeting or as handle a tricky negotiation. Sometimes we address these questions together in session. Sometimes the work of answering these questions spans several months.
Interference can be internal or external, real or imagined. The plan to address it, similar to the process of identifying it, can be easy to execute or require multiple steps and conversations. Regardless of the complexity of its components, the simple elegance of Galwey’s equation stands the test of time.
It is my pleasure and privilege to support leaders across industries as they remove their interference and unlock their potential.
Want to super-charge your performance? Start thinking clearly and specifically about your interference. Need help? Contact Avenue8 and let’s get started.