HBR’s article by Loehr and Schwartz has enlightened me with how complicated it actually is to maintain high performance in employees. Employees are a firm’s most problematic asset, yet they are also its most valuable asset.

The Performance Pyramid

The Performance Pyramid fundamentally addresses four dimensions: the body, the emotions, the mind and the spirit. Each of its levels influences the others, and failure to address any one of them compromises performance. An integration of these factors must be addressed through rituals, as establishing positive rituals can replace old habits.

An analogy between businessmen and athletes is helpful to understand how to develop high performing employees. When training athletes, the trainers never focus on the primary skills such as public speaking or negotiating, but instead help executives build their capacity for secondary competencies including endurance, flexibility and self-control.

Why Performance Is Crucial

In conclusion, I believe that in this fast changing corporate environment, efficiency is pivotal to maintain competitiveness or even simply to achieve survival when first enter an industry. As employees are the most valuable assets of most businesses, their performance is a crucial factor that will differentiate a business from its competitors.

Whether a company produces goods or provides service, they need high performing employees to unfailingly satisfy their customers and to take advantage of the changing environment in order to stay ahead of the ‘game’.