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Primed to Perform

By Neel Doshi & Lindsay McGregor

Direct Motives​

  1. Play
  2. Purpose
  3. Potential

Indirect Motives​

  1. Emotional Pressure
  2. Economic Pressure
  3. Inertia

Performance measurement​

  1. Tactical performance - How good you are to execute plans
  2. Adaptive performance - Create new plans

Performance motivation effects​

  1. Distraction effect

  2. Cancellation effect

    If you are given incentives for work then you cannot perform the same work without incentive

    https://www.ft.com/content/1f397fb4-da63-4ccd-bac1-343828540bf2

    Bonuses are outdated in the age of knowledge work

  3. Cobra effect

    Indian cobra farms released when wrong attribute was incentivised

Emergence​

Emergence occurs when the individual components of a collective are able to organise themselves into a system that is far more complicated than the sum of its parts. (Termites)

Philosophy is the root of knowledge

Blame bias - REAP model of feedback​

  1. Remember - Assume Positive Intent
  2. Explain (yourself)
  3. Ask (other person)
  4. Plan (together)

The most powerful personal antidote is to come up with five alternative explanations for the behaviour that do not assume a problem with the person.

Building high ToMo cultures​

In God we trust; all others must bring data.

Managers must be Fire starters​

Example - Starbucks where everyone is allowed to make decisions.

  • Great leaders inspire curiousity and encourage experimentation
  • Helps you to see your work is important and meaningful
  • Actively links the work to your personal goals

Behavioural Code​

  • Uphold the obligation to dissent
  • Do what you don't like for 5 minutes before rejecting it. You will surely like it after doing for 5 minutes.
  • Follow the process
  • You cannot tell the people that your identity is genuine, they have to feel it.

Job roles that increase ToMo must have​

  1. Theory of impact (end-to-end experience and see the impact that your work make)
  2. Inspiration (Test new ideas)
  3. Prioritization and planning
  4. Performing (playground)
  5. Reflection

The Hunting Party​

  • Free riders (who don't work if the team size is large and try to hide in the crowd)