In 2008 Fortune Senior Editor Geoffrey Colvin wrote a book entitle Talent is Overrated: What Really Seperates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else. The book offers an in depth look at the one thing that makes a person world class performer. The book touches on world class violinists, athletes, comedians, financial leaders, and CEOs.
That one thing was deliberate practice. Deliberate practice has several defining elements:
- Repeatable
- Measurable with consistent goals that push past previous limits
- Specific
- Unpleasant
These attributes have driven several world class performers including Tiger Woods (Golf), Jerry Rice (Football), Warren Buffet (Business/Investments), and Yo Yo Ma (Violinist) to never before seen heights in performance. For them this has led to untold professional and monetary satisfaction.
It’s no secret that most jobs aren’t structured in a way that encourages deliberate practice. Most companies encourage a multi-tasking jack of all trades mentality that flies in the face of deliberate practice. Think about it. How can a person become a world class professional at a competency when 60% of their daily tasks don’t relate to improving or learning more about that competency.
Think about your company for a second and answer this question. Could you see a situation in which deliberate practice would be applied at your place of work?
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