Choose your attitude
If you want to fulfil your talent rather than just know you’ve got it, your mindset and attitude is the single most important thing to be working on.
This tool will help you check where you are and how you rate on the three critical high performance attitudes. It’ll also help you to decide what you need to improve on and how you can get going.
What will it do?
This tool will help you check where you are and how you rate on the three critical high performance attitudes. It’ll also help you to decide what you need to improve on and how you can get going.
Use this now to set yourself up for success. It’ll take you about 20 minutes to do it properly.
Then use it as often as you need – we’d suggest once a month as a minimum. If this feels like an important area for you, use it at least weekly – ideally at the start of the week to set yourself up for the week ahead. 10 minutes should do for a check-in. Attitude change won’t happen overnight (unless you’re very lucky), but with a bit of effort and commitment, it will happen.
Three steps to take
Get focused on the things that will make the most impact for you
1. Read the 5 statements below.
For each one, rate yourself on how well it describes your attitude, how consistently you choose this attitude and whether you behave in a way that really demonstrates this attitude. Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10 where 10 means it sounds exactly like you and 1 means it couldn’t be further from the truth. Be honest here. You’re only kidding yourself if you’re not.
| Your attitude right now (does this describe me?) | Consistency (do you always think like this?) | Behaviour (does your behaviour really demonstrate this?) | |
| I believe that being great at what you do isn’t just reserved for a few. Everyone has a choice about how great they become | |||
| It’s not what talent and qualities you have. It’s how you make the most of them that counts and predicts how good you’ll become | |||
| Being great – or good – involves seeking out and taking every opportunity to improve, learn and try new things | |||
| Responding well to change, and at times proactively seeking change in order to improve is essential for being a high performer | |||
| My mindset, behaviours and my performance are my choice. I’m in full control over what I think, do and how I perform |
2. Well done for being honest. You were, weren’t you?
Great. Now plan what you can do to make some changes. So choose two of the areas you could improve in from the 5 listed above. Let’s call them i) attitude to greatness ii) fulfilling talent iii) desire to improve iv) embrace change v) choice mindset.
Which two areas could you improve on? Where are you now and where would you like to be in 3 months time?
| Attitude | Now (1-10) | 3 months time (1-10) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | ||
| 2. |
With each, what do you want to be different in 3 months? For example, if you’ve rated yourself a 5 now and a 7 for 3 months’ time, note down what you’d want to notice about what you’re thinking and doing:
i.
ii.
3. Write down ideas you’ve got around making these changes.
Just trust your instincts here at first. If you want, you can then search for more stuff on high performance attitudes or more tools that will help you here too.
Your plan
Get a plan Stan. The basics you need to have in your plan are set out below.
Plan basics
- What are you going to do? (This bit is easy – it’s the 3 things listed above. No 3 is particularly helpful here)
My actions:
- When are you going to start? (You don’t have to be great to get going, but you better get going if you want to be great)
My start date:
- How often will you be doing it? (Getting great has a lot to do with making things a habit)
Check in dates:
Get serious
The difference between having a plan and making it work is about action. So get this in your diary now. Tell the people who need to know so that they can support you and won’t just think you’re being weird. Do it now.
Remember, it’s progress not perfection. You’re looking for gradual improvement, not for Rome to be built in a day.