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My family loves to watch the Olympics. Nothing stirs the emotions like seeing a lifelong journey of sacrifice and overcoming adversity culminating in either the joy of victory or the agony of defeat. Like nearly a billion others worldwide, we are personally drawn to the athletes’ stories. Not only are these athletes testaments to the human spirit, but they are also living examples of competence as we define it in the adherence equation: Focus x Competence x Passion = Adherence.
Only when we see one of those backstory mini-documentaries highlighting a particular Olympian do we more fully appreciate all it takes to build world-class competence. We learn about gut-wrenching daily training regimens, strict nutritional standards, rigorous mental discipline, top-notch training equipment, reams of collected data, various supporting relationships, and even past adversities that motivate the Olympian. It is an intentionally developed set of systems and processes designed to produce a golden victory.
Whether in the Olympics or in business, outsiders tend to see only the outcome of competence – a winning sprinter crossing the finish line or a winning salesperson closing a big deal. What we do not see is everything it took to build that level of performance.
As you may recall, we use “competence” in the broadest sense of the word. The competence component of the adherence equation describes more than just skills and knowledge. It encompasses work processes, systems, roles, measures, feedback, training, expectations, and mental preparation – everything a team uses to stick with its plan and measure its progress.
Competence is about equipping your team so they can be productive.
Stay tuned next week as I describe one of the four adherence accelerators of Competence.
For real-world illustrations, practical tips and FREE downloadable tools to build competence read Stick with It: Mastering the Art of Adherence or contact us to discuss how we can help.
http://www.thelgroup.com/stickwithitbook/
Copyright © 2013 by The L Group, Inc.