Great musicians and hall-of-fame athletes have one thing in common: they never stop learning, practicing, and perfecting their art. This continues even long after they've mastered the basics.

Renown musicians or highly skilled athletes don't assume that the skills they've mastered will equip them to give a virtuoso--or "in the zone"--performance when faced with situations they've never encountered before.

The same is true of individuals who are being asked to step out of their comfort zones, meet new business challenges or build new partnerships, especially in a realignment, acquisition or merger. Even when they are well trained, their play must continue to be taken to higher levels.

Taking skills to new heights is demanding on individuals both mentally and emotionally, and has four components:

1. Desire
2. Information
3. Creativity
4. Action

Desire

Individuals who are complacent get left behind. Individuals who have an internal desire to improve and be better get the jump on career success. If individuals are not internally motivated, outside forces eventually compel change. For instance, when faced with a job loss, employees leave complacency behind and fight for survival by learning new job skills, gathering critical 21^st Century information about the marketplace, and implementing a higher level of self discipline.

Information

Whether individuals are being forced to learn out of obsolescence and complacency or are moving forward from a desire to be more successful in their career, they need information. Information is imparted informally through mentors, as well as formally through well-planned company training programs such as personal reading, attending seminars, etc. The more you can understand current trends and visualize how your role in the organization can support future change, the more impact you will have in the organization and consequently the more value you add to organizational success.

Creativity

The principles of creativity are absolutely necessary for creating new products and services. Plus, they are just as critical for individuals who are actively thinking through change. Individuals change by asking themselves "If the way I am performing my job is becoming obsolete, what needs to be changed?" They need experiences to help them see viable options, better alternatives, and entirely different perspectives that will open up new ways of thinking and contributing. To get tips on running a creativity session in your organization, click here.  

Action

Action is a funny thing. For anything to change there must be action. For creativity, new information, or desire to have any effect, there must be action. At some point the individual must do something. Action requires complete commitment, encouragement, support, and internal courage.

Musicians and athletes look to team members to support and encourage them through the struggle of taking performance to new heights. In the corporate world, the same principle works: team members support each other by offering friendly encouragement, new information, alternative perspectives and promoting action.

Be a good team member. Help the individuals you work with take their play to new heights. In turn, they will assist you, and together your organization will move steadily forward to increased bottom line performance and consistency of production in the 21^st Century marketplace. You and your team mates will have virtuoso and "in the zone" productivity performances.

Tips for Increased 21^st Century Performance:

• Read magazines such as Fast Company and Business 2.0
• Make sure the basics are in place. Karla's blog can help!
• Take time to learn new software and understand new technologies
• Join an association
• Talk to friends outside of your company and apply their best practices to your situation

For a complimentary article "How to Spark Creativity in Your Meetings" click here.