The Performance Zone
Articles
Where is your performance zone?
Early in my career, I learned that maximum learning and growth occurs when I operate outside my comfort zone. I sought out opportunities to step up to large challenges and tackle them head on. Tremendous learning and growth opportunities were always out there if I just remained open to experiencing them. The magic happens just outside your comfort zone in the stretch zone.
Taken too far, we can find ourselves in the danger zone where risk and fear threaten desired performance. Dr. Dan Denison, known for his famous model relating organizational culture to operational performance, and an experienced race car driver, says that running an organization is like driving a race car. If you are not at the edge of going out of control, then you are not pushing it hard enough. Prudence tells us to know the boundaries of our limits and to not tempt fate by exceeding them regularly. Panic can set in as a natural tendency when pressure gets too high. Panic leads to a decrease in performance and potential mistakes. Pushing harder and going faster is only good up to a point.
In the comfort zone things feel familiar, at ease and in control, with low levels of anxiety and stress. In this zone, a steady level of performance is possible. On the other hand, sometimes we find ourselves growing complacent in the comfort zone. Surfers find themselves in the complacent zone when waiting for waves in between sets. It’s a peaceful time to enjoy the surroundings and catch your breath, but not a terrific way to spend the entire day. When the conditions are right, surfers will feel a rush of excitement as they paddle to catch a wave that appears to test the limits of their skills. This brings on calculation, heightened awareness, and a rush of adrenaline. When a truly monster wave forms as they can on the Cortez Banks, Mavericks, or Jaws, the added pressure can bring on a feeling of panic. The onset of panic can lead to catastrophic results. It is critical to know your limits and the conditions. There is a time to go for it and a time to pull out and wait for a better opportunity.
You will accelerate your performance if you identify the fear that’s holding you back and muster the courage to confront it while remaining in the stretch performance zone. Often, the underlying fear may not be real, only imagined. You need to identify fear and begin to confront it. “When you use your fear, it can take you to the place where you store your courage” - Amelia Earhart