The formula for success • 3 min read
In a study published by The Journal of Social Psychology, researchers asked two groups of students to complete challenging tasks. The first group had no phone in sight, while the second group had a phone within view.
The second group performed significantly worse simply because a phone was in their eye line—even if the phone wasn’t theirs.
This study highlights a simple truth: distractions are costly, even the ones we aren’t aware of.
Introduction
Many employees today feel constant pressure to perform at full throttle. With targets to hit and deadlines to meet, demands can feel relentless.
But rather than encouraging longer hours or reliance on caffeine, there’s a better approach: applying the latest research in performance science to help employees achieve their best sustainably.
This overview covers the basics of performance, offering a foundation to support employees in reaching their highest potential.
Fostering the right stress and recovery balance
Building high-performing teams begins with fostering the right approach to stress and recovery.
Here’s a simple framework for encouraging employees to get the most out of their capabilities.
Step-by-step performance development:
1. Stress it
Start by helping employees identify a specific skill or “muscle” they want to develop—whether behavioral or cognitive—and apply gentle stress to it.
2. Rest it
Next, allow for rest and recovery to give efforts the space to settle and strengthen.
3. Develop it
Finally, repeat the cycle, gradually increasing the challenge to stimulate real growth.
...and repeat!
Encourage them to continue to repeat this process, while stressing the muscle or capability a little more each time.
With time, employees will discover the optimal balance of stress and rest to maximise their development.
Building sustainable performance habits
It's no different to lifting weights in a gym - the greatest gains often come from struggle (STRESS), followed by planned REST and recovery. We learn over time the right balance of stress and rest.
One key aspect of forming a new behaviour is to make it easy to begin with. Once we’ve embedded a new routine, we can look to build on it to stretch ourselves further.
Let's look at some simple examples.
Stress, rest and develop in practice
One example of this approach could involve an employee aiming to improve assertiveness in their communications.
Step 1. Stress it
Begin by encouraging assertive language in emails. For example:
Comfort zone:
“Hey Larry, it would be great if you could get that presentation back to me.”
Stressing the capability:
“Hey Larry, I need that presentation back by Wednesday - is that something you can prioritise for me?”
Step 2. Rest it
The employee then reflects on responses to gauge the effectiveness of this new approach.
Step 3. Develop it
Finally, encourage them to adjust and repeat the process, practicing assertive communication in other settings, such as in-person meetings.
By treating each skill as a muscle that can be strengthened over time, employees gradually build their confidence and capability, ultimately enhancing their performance.
Key takeaways
STRESS the capability by practicing specific actions.
REST to reflect on the results and adapt if necessary.
DEVELOP further by gradually increasing the challenge each time.
Think big, act small
Encourage employees to identify one muscle or skill they want to build and apply this process to make steady progress, aligning with the areas most relevant for their role.
Content sources
Deep Work, Cal Newport
Harvard Business Review, For Real Productivity, Less Is Truly More, Tony Schwartz
Peak Performance, Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness
The Journal of Social Psychology, The Mere Presence of a Cell Phone May be Distracting, Implications for Attention and Task Performance, Bill Thornton et al
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