Maximizing Performance Through Applied Common Sense*

When you deliver more than you promise people are pleasantly surprised. It’s like a waiter at a restaurant who delivers outstanding service, and you want to tip him because you are thrilled and surprised that they did so well. So the notion is, if you promise to do X, deliver 5X or 10X and people will be touched and impressed and they will think that you are differentiated from the pack, which is exactly what you want. So dazzle them and deliver more than you promise.

Do what you say you are going to do, follow through on what you promise. I am actually dazzled when somebody says they are going to do something and they actually do it. It suggests that you have credibility. It suggests you can be counted on. It suggests you are going to go the extra mile and it somehow tells people you are going to be different than everybody else. Therefore, if you say you are going to have the report in on Monday at nine, have the report in on Monday at nine or tell people you are going to be late. Do what you say you are going to do and your credibility goes through the roof. It’s absolutely wonderful and you are going to be enormously successful.

Be nice to people. Show some manners. Show some grace. Send a thank you note. Show appreciation. Show the fact that your mother taught you the manners necessary to do well. It’s really remarkable when you are nice to people you are going to get more mileage. It’s like bringing more honey to the table generally gets more honey in return. So, if you want to be successful, show your manners; show your grace; show your appreciation. Be nice to people AND people will be nice to you in return. Its funny how that works... be nice to people.

Do you want to be successful? Most everybody does, it’s just that most people often forget some of the basic requirements to be successful at anything. If you want to be employed, you always want to do well and you always want to have people wanting you. Then follow the success formula and step number one is Show up on Time. Most people have trouble with the concept of showing up on time, particularly people who are chronically unemployed. So, what do you do? You make sure that you show up. If you say you are going to be there on Tuesday at 8:00, be there on Tuesday at 8:00. If you show up on time you get everybody’s attention, to suggest you’re committed, you’re dedicated, you’re going to pay the freight necessary to do well, and you are dazzling people because most people are surprised if you actually show up on time.

If you are like most people you truly believe that if you reinforce the behavior you’re looking for, you’re probably going to get more of it. Do you believe that? Somehow we feel its okay to reinforce two populations: small children and dogs. If it works on small children and dogs, do you suppose it works on grown ups? Of course it does! Most people generally hear criticism or they hear nothing. Yet, most of us thrive on being told what we are doing right. Therefore, make a point of increasing the frequency of telling everybody what they’re doing right. You’re at very low risk of doing it too much. So if you’re terrific, that’s terrific. If other people are terrific, tell them!