Growing Performance

As engineering students our main focus is on our personal education.  Otherwise, why would we put so much effort into getting out of bed and looking presentable.  To me, learning is a cycle of growth.  I have to say, that I do not perform well under stressful circumstances.  I'm not afraid to get in and try, but to perform well to someone else's standards puts me out of my comfort zone and my level of performance drops significantly.

To perform means to work, function, or do something to a specific standard.  Growing performance means to become more proficient in our performance, and to develop performance means becoming better at performing a task when we start from scratch.

Today's entry involves personal growth, and in many ways emotional growth that is necessary to have involved and rich personal and professional lives.  Pretty cool stuff.

So for every solution, there is usually something getting in our way which we need to overcome.  It is counterproductive and slows us down to think of this hurdle negatively.  Unfortunately, this is usually a primary response for the majority of us.  Not that there's anything wrong with that! *.^  This natural emotional response is a significant concept though.  It's called defensive behavior and it incorporates a specific mode of reasoning, or thought, referred to as defensive reasoning.  We can look at the science behind it and see that inside our brains we release tons of chemicals and use specific parts of our brain which make us aggressive, prone to conflict, etc.  Why do we get defensive?  We're insecure, lack the skills to help us perform the task at hand easily.  Let's face it, when it isn't easy, we're not happy!  That pretty much covers it.  The amazing thing is, we not only continue to thrive regardless, but we can exercise and obtain skills which help us subvert this defensive behavior!

To keep things short, I'm going to cover a process invented to help not only grow performance but also benefit us with life skills.  Life skills help us control our slide back towards being defensive, it's a constant effort to maintain a good attitude.  Happiness is a choice.

This method is called SII, an acronym denoting Strength Improvements Insights.
The method has us reflect on what has happened during the day, or during a meeting, or a specific skill we want to improve or even are thinking about over a short period of time.  Goals during this three to five minute period are are very simple.  We reflect on core strengths, look at two main areas which need improvement, and find at least one insight pertaining to what we've learned and what that means to us.

Within these three categories we answer the same three questions about the strength improvemt or insight which we define regarding our original topic.  The questions are:

• Name the important action of the Strength, Improvement, or Insight
• Explain what action must be taken, what was done well, or how the insight affects us
• Explain how it benefits us

This simple exercise gives us lots of information about ourselves, keeps the brain juice flowing (growth occurs during times of flow), and it helps us know what impact we are having in our own lives as well as others.

Here's an example of an SII based on my own life.  The focus of this SII is Team collaboration.

Strengths

1. I value every team members input.

• Name action:  I ask for information from everyone.
• How? I noticed when people were being quiet during open discussion time, and asked them for their opinion.
• Benefits: Every member feels included, more ideas on the table, grows respect.

2. During group time I stay focused, and am task oriented.

•  Name action: I look at what needs to get done and take the steps to get there.
• How? I set myself small goals, decide on an action, act, follow through.
• Benefits: My work gets done fast, it benefits my team, deadlines are met with less stress.

Improvements
1.  I need to come to meetings prepared.

• Name action: Look at class website, know my stuff.
• How? Set myself aside ten minutes where I can drop everything else and do my prerequisite research.
• Benefit: Meetings will run faster, I will be more competent, I will have goals in mind and ideas already prepared which will facilitate success.

2. I need to communicate my feelings about how the work is getting done with the entire team.

• Action: When I feel that important team issues need to be discussed I need to discuss them with the entire group as soon as possible.
• How? Be direct, get to the point, but do it respectfully.
• Benefit: I will feel more secure having expressed my feelings in a calm and safe way, group members will be well informed, if handled appropriately the group will be strengthened.

Insight 
1. I possess the qualities to be a strong leader and have the ability to promote strong team collaboration, I just have to get prepared and stay motivated.