You’ve probably heard that admonition “You don’t manage people, you manage tasks. You lead people.” And this we believe is a truism. As a manager in your organization you are responsible for the output of work and the containment of costs and … the development of your people.

We want to help you achieve Peak Performance! And that’s why we’ve create the Peak Performance Model to help you think about what you do as a manager and how you can help your people. It is a variable model which means you can apply it to any person and any situation and you set what you think are the criteria.

Here’s how it works.

Quadrant 1:
These are the basics. Those tasks that you do alone, which can be considered basics of the job. If you are in sales it probably means product knowledge. If you are in marketing it may mean being able to write copy. If you are in management it probably means being able to produce a task list. This is where most people’s journey begins.

Quadrant 2:
These are basics skills that involve others. If you are in sales it probably means being able to place a prospecting call. In marketing it might mean being able to conduct a focus group. In management it is probably having an assignment meeting with direct reports.

Quadrant 3:
This then takes us beyond the basics and moves us to peak performance. These should be advanced skills. In sales it may mean matching your sales process to your customer’s personality and particular situation. In marketing it may mean being able to look at research and determine your product or service’s competitive differential in the market place. In management it may mean having the ability to correctly identify and diagnose performance problems.

Quadrant 4:
This is the coup de grace. When you have a solid foundation of the basics in place and now are using advanced skills leveraged through other people. Sales examples may mean the ability to cultivate and communicate testimonials and referral business. In marketing this may mean having the ability to make your idea an organizational reality. For managers, having the ability to take a problematic work group and turn it in to a high performing work group.

This model helps you think about and analyze just about any performance oriented situation. Think about it as it may apply to your business or personal situation. What might be the skills sets in these quadrants for you? How might you improve?

There are a few other cool pieces in this area. A piece called Getting Better All the Time talks about continuous improvement. Another called I Can’t Take It will help you understand and deal with stress. And of course there is an article called Turning Ideas into Reality which is what many of us hope to achieve. Download one or get all three.