When performing gets in the way of improving | Eduardo Briceño | TEDxManhattanBeach
-
0:16 - 0:20Most of us go through life trying
to do our best at whatever we do, -
0:20 - 0:22whether it's our job, family, school
-
0:22 - 0:23or anything else.
-
0:24 - 0:26I feel that way. I try my best.
-
0:27 - 0:30But some time ago, I came to a realization
-
0:30 - 0:33that I wasn't getting much better
at the things I cared most about, -
0:33 - 0:37whether it was being a husband or a friend
-
0:37 - 0:39or a professional or teammate,
-
0:39 - 0:41and I wasn't improving
much at those things -
0:41 - 0:43even though I was spending a lot of time
-
0:43 - 0:45working hard at them.
-
0:46 - 0:49I've since realized from conversations
I've had and from research -
0:49 - 0:52that this stagnation, despite hard work,
-
0:52 - 0:54turns out to be pretty common.
-
0:54 - 0:57So I'd like to share with you
some insights into why that is -
0:57 - 0:58and what we can all do about it.
-
0:59 - 1:01What I've learned
is that the most effective people -
1:01 - 1:03and teams in any domain
-
1:03 - 1:05do something we can all emulate.
-
1:06 - 1:10They go through life deliberately
alternating between two zones: -
1:10 - 1:12the learning zone
and the performance zone. -
1:13 - 1:16The learning zone
is when our goal is to improve. -
1:16 - 1:19Then we do activities
designed for improvement, -
1:19 - 1:21concentrating on what
we haven't mastered yet, -
1:21 - 1:24which means we have to expect
to make mistakes, -
1:24 - 1:26knowing that we will learn from them.
-
1:26 - 1:30That is very different from what we do
when we're in our performance zone, -
1:30 - 1:34which is when our goal is to do something
as best as we can, to execute. -
1:34 - 1:37Then we concentrate
on what we have already mastered -
1:37 - 1:38and we try to minimize mistakes.
-
1:40 - 1:42Both of these zones
should be part of our lives, -
1:42 - 1:45but being clear about
when we want to be in each of them, -
1:45 - 1:48with what goal, focus and expectations,
-
1:48 - 1:51helps us better perform
and better improve. -
1:51 - 1:53The performance zone maximizes
our immediate performance, -
1:53 - 1:56while the learning zone
maximizes our growth -
1:56 - 1:57and our future performance.
-
1:58 - 2:00The reason many of us don't improve much
-
2:00 - 2:02despite our hard work
-
2:02 - 2:06is that we tend to spend almost
all of our time in the performance zone. -
2:07 - 2:08This hinders our growth,
-
2:08 - 2:11and ironically, over the long term,
also our performance. -
2:13 - 2:15So what does the learning zone look like?
-
2:16 - 2:18Take Demosthenes, a political leader
-
2:18 - 2:20and the greatest orator
and lawyer in ancient Greece. -
2:21 - 2:25To become great,
he didn't spend all his time -
2:25 - 2:27just being an orator or a lawyer,
-
2:27 - 2:29which would be his performance zone.
-
2:29 - 2:32But instead, he did activities
designed for improvement. -
2:32 - 2:34Of course, he studied a lot.
-
2:34 - 2:37He studied law and philosophy
with guidance from mentors, -
2:37 - 2:41but he also realized that being a lawyer
involved persuading other people, -
2:41 - 2:44so he also studied great speeches
-
2:44 - 2:45and acting.
-
2:45 - 2:50To get rid of an odd habit he had
of involuntarily lifting his shoulder, -
2:50 - 2:52he practiced his speeches
in front of a mirror, -
2:52 - 2:55and he suspended a sword from the ceiling
-
2:55 - 2:57so that if he raised his shoulder,
-
2:57 - 2:58it would hurt.
-
2:58 - 3:00(Laughter)
-
3:00 - 3:02To speak more clearly despite a lisp,
-
3:02 - 3:05he went through his speeches
with stones in his mouth. -
3:06 - 3:07He built an underground room
-
3:07 - 3:09where he could practice
without interruptions -
3:09 - 3:11and not disturb other people.
-
3:11 - 3:13And since courts at the time
were very noisy, -
3:13 - 3:15he also practiced by the ocean,
-
3:15 - 3:17projecting his voice
above the roar of the waves. -
3:18 - 3:20His activities in the learning zone
-
3:20 - 3:22were very different
from his activities in court, -
3:22 - 3:24his performance zone.
-
3:25 - 3:26In the learning zone,
-
3:26 - 3:29he did what Dr. Anders Ericsson
calls deliberate practice. -
3:29 - 3:32This involves breaking down
abilities into component skills, -
3:32 - 3:35being clear about what subskill
we're working to improve, -
3:35 - 3:37like keeping our shoulders down,
-
3:37 - 3:40giving full concentration
to a high level of challenge -
3:40 - 3:41outside our comfort zone,
-
3:41 - 3:44just beyond what we can currently do,
-
3:44 - 3:47using frequent feedback
with repetition and adjustments, -
3:47 - 3:50and ideally engaging the guidance
of a skilled coach, -
3:50 - 3:52because activities
designed for improvement -
3:52 - 3:53are domain-specific,
-
3:53 - 3:56and great teachers and coaches
know what those activities are -
3:56 - 3:58and can also give us expert feedback.
-
3:59 - 4:01It is this type of practice
in the learning zone -
4:01 - 4:03which leads to substantial improvement,
-
4:03 - 4:06not just time on task performing.
-
4:07 - 4:10For example, research shows
that after the first couple of years -
4:10 - 4:11working in a profession,
-
4:11 - 4:14performance usually plateaus.
-
4:14 - 4:17This has been shown to be true
in teaching, general medicine, -
4:17 - 4:18nursing and other fields,
-
4:18 - 4:22and it happens because once we think
we have become good enough, -
4:22 - 4:23adequate,
-
4:23 - 4:26then we stop spending time
in the learning zone. -
4:26 - 4:28We focus all our time
on just doing our job, -
4:28 - 4:29performing,
-
4:29 - 4:31which turns out not to be
a great way to improve. -
4:32 - 4:35But the people who continue
to spend time in the learning zone -
4:35 - 4:37do continue to always improve.
-
4:37 - 4:40The best salespeople at least once a week
-
4:40 - 4:42do activities with
the goal of improvement. -
4:42 - 4:44They read to extend their knowledge,
-
4:44 - 4:46consult with colleagues or domain experts,
-
4:46 - 4:49try out new strategies,
solicit feedback and reflect. -
4:50 - 4:52The best chess players
-
4:52 - 4:55spend a lot of time
not playing games of chess, -
4:55 - 4:57which would be their performance zone,
-
4:57 - 5:01but trying to predict the moves
grand masters made and analyzing them. -
5:02 - 5:06Each of us has probably spent
many, many, many hours -
5:06 - 5:07typing on a computer
-
5:07 - 5:09without getting faster,
-
5:09 - 5:12but if we spent 10 to 20 minutes each day
-
5:12 - 5:16fully concentrating
on typing 10 to 20 percent faster -
5:16 - 5:17than our current reliable speed,
-
5:17 - 5:19we would get faster,
-
5:19 - 5:22especially if we also identified
what mistakes we're making -
5:22 - 5:24and practiced typing those words.
-
5:24 - 5:26That's deliberate practice.
-
5:27 - 5:29In what other parts of our lives,
-
5:29 - 5:31perhaps that we care more about,
-
5:31 - 5:33are we working hard but not improving much
-
5:33 - 5:35because we're always
in the performance zone? -
5:37 - 5:40Now, this is not to say
that the performance zone has no value. -
5:40 - 5:42It very much does.
-
5:42 - 5:44When I needed a knee surgery,
I didn't tell the surgeon, -
5:44 - 5:47"Poke around in there
and focus on what you don't know." -
5:47 - 5:48(Laughter)
-
5:48 - 5:50"We'll learn from your mistakes!"
-
5:50 - 5:54I looked for a surgeon
who I felt would do a good job, -
5:54 - 5:55and I wanted her to do a good job.
-
5:56 - 5:57Being in the performance zone
-
5:57 - 6:00allows us to get things done
as best as we can. -
6:01 - 6:02It can also be motivating,
-
6:02 - 6:06and it provides us with information
to identify what to focus on next -
6:06 - 6:08when we go back to the learning zone.
-
6:08 - 6:10So the way to high performance
-
6:10 - 6:13is to alternate between the learning zone
and the performance zone, -
6:13 - 6:16purposefully building our skills
in the learning zone, -
6:16 - 6:18then applying those skills
in the performance zone. -
6:19 - 6:21When Beyoncé is on tour,
-
6:21 - 6:25during the concert,
she's in her performance zone, -
6:25 - 6:27but every night when she
gets back to the hotel room, -
6:27 - 6:29she goes right back
into her learning zone. -
6:29 - 6:32She watches a video
of the show that just ended. -
6:32 - 6:34She identifies opportunities
for improvement, -
6:34 - 6:37for herself, her dancers
and her camera staff. -
6:37 - 6:38And the next morning,
-
6:38 - 6:41everyone receives pages of notes
with what to adjust, -
6:41 - 6:45which they then work on during the day
before the next performance. -
6:45 - 6:47It's a spiral
-
6:47 - 6:48to ever-increasing capabilities,
-
6:48 - 6:52but we need to know when we seek to learn,
and when we seek to perform, -
6:52 - 6:54and while we want
to spend time doing both, -
6:54 - 6:56the more time we spend
in the learning zone, -
6:56 - 6:57the more we'll improve.
-
6:58 - 7:01So how can we spend
more time in the learning zone? -
7:02 - 7:05First, we must believe and understand
-
7:05 - 7:06that we can improve,
-
7:06 - 7:08what we call a growth mindset.
-
7:09 - 7:12Second, we must want
to improve at that particular skill. -
7:12 - 7:14There has to be a purpose we care about,
-
7:14 - 7:15because it takes time and effort.
-
7:16 - 7:19Third, we must have an idea
about how to improve, -
7:19 - 7:21what we can do to improve,
-
7:21 - 7:24not how I used to practice
the guitar as a teenager, -
7:24 - 7:26performing songs over and over again,
-
7:26 - 7:27but doing deliberate practice.
-
7:28 - 7:31And fourth, we must be
in a low-stakes situation, -
7:32 - 7:34because if mistakes are to be expected,
-
7:34 - 7:37then the consequence of making them
must not be catastrophic, -
7:37 - 7:38or even very significant.
-
7:39 - 7:43A tightrope walker doesn't practice
new tricks without a net underneath, -
7:43 - 7:45and an athlete wouldn't set out
to first try a new move -
7:45 - 7:47during a championship match.
-
7:48 - 7:50One reason that in our lives
-
7:50 - 7:52we spend so much time
in the performance zone -
7:52 - 7:56is that our environments
often are, unnecessarily, high stakes. -
7:57 - 7:59We create social risks for one another,
-
7:59 - 8:02even in schools which are supposed
to be all about learning, -
8:02 - 8:04and I'm not talking
about standardized tests. -
8:04 - 8:07I mean that every minute of every day,
-
8:07 - 8:09many students in elementary
schools through colleges -
8:09 - 8:13feel that if they make a mistake,
others will think less of them. -
8:13 - 8:15No wonder they're always stressed out
-
8:15 - 8:17and not taking the risks
necessary for learning. -
8:18 - 8:20But they learn
that mistakes are undesirable -
8:20 - 8:21inadvertently
-
8:21 - 8:25when teachers or parents
are eager to hear just correct answers -
8:25 - 8:27and reject mistakes
rather than welcome and examine them -
8:27 - 8:29to learn from them,
-
8:29 - 8:30or when we look for narrow responses
-
8:30 - 8:33rather than encourage
more exploratory thinking -
8:33 - 8:34that we can all learn from.
-
8:34 - 8:37When all homework or student work
has a number or a letter on it, -
8:37 - 8:39and counts towards a final grade,
-
8:39 - 8:42rather than being used for practice,
mistakes, feedback and revision, -
8:42 - 8:46we send the message
that school is a performance zone. -
8:47 - 8:49The same is true in our workplaces.
-
8:49 - 8:53In the companies I consult with,
I often see flawless execution cultures -
8:53 - 8:56which leaders foster
to encourage great work. -
8:56 - 8:58But that leads employees
to stay within what they know -
8:58 - 9:00and not try new things,
-
9:00 - 9:02so companies struggle
to innovate and improve, -
9:02 - 9:03and they fall behind.
-
9:05 - 9:07We can create more spaces for growth
-
9:07 - 9:09by starting conversations with one another
-
9:09 - 9:11about when we want to be in each zone.
-
9:12 - 9:15What do we want to get better at and how?
-
9:15 - 9:18And when do we want
to execute and minimize mistakes? -
9:18 - 9:22That way, we gain clarity
about what success is, -
9:22 - 9:24when, and how to best support one another.
-
9:25 - 9:28But what if we find ourselves
in a chronic high-stakes setting -
9:28 - 9:31and we feel we can't
start those conversations yet? -
9:32 - 9:35Then here are three things
that we can still do as individuals. -
9:35 - 9:39First, we can create low-stakes islands
in an otherwise high-stakes sea. -
9:39 - 9:42These are spaces where mistakes
have little consequence. -
9:42 - 9:46For example, we might find
a mentor or a trusted colleague -
9:46 - 9:49with whom we can exchange ideas
or have vulnerable conversations -
9:49 - 9:50or even role-play.
-
9:50 - 9:54Or we can ask for feedback-oriented
meetings as projects progress. -
9:54 - 9:58Or we can set aside time to read
or watch videos or take online courses. -
9:58 - 9:59Those are just some examples.
-
10:00 - 10:04Second, we can execute
and perform as we're expected, -
10:04 - 10:07but then reflect on what
we could do better next time, -
10:07 - 10:08like Beyoncé does,
-
10:08 - 10:10and we can observe and emulate experts.
-
10:10 - 10:14The observation, reflection
and adjustment is a learning zone. -
10:15 - 10:17And finally, we can lead
-
10:18 - 10:21and lower the stakes for others
by sharing what we want to get better at, -
10:21 - 10:24by asking questions
about what we don't know, -
10:24 - 10:26by soliciting feedback
and by sharing our mistakes -
10:26 - 10:28and what we've learned from them,
-
10:28 - 10:30so that others
can feel safe to do the same. -
10:31 - 10:34Real confidence is about
modeling ongoing learning. -
10:36 - 10:40What if, instead of spending
our lives doing, doing, doing, -
10:40 - 10:42performing, performing, performing,
-
10:42 - 10:45we spent more time exploring,
-
10:45 - 10:47asking,
-
10:47 - 10:48listening,
-
10:48 - 10:51experimenting, reflecting,
-
10:51 - 10:54striving and becoming?
-
10:55 - 10:58What if we each always had something
-
10:58 - 10:59we were working to improve?
-
11:01 - 11:03What if we created more low-stakes islands
-
11:03 - 11:04and waters?
-
11:05 - 11:07And what if we got clear,
-
11:07 - 11:10within ourselves and with our teammates,
-
11:10 - 11:13about when we seek to learn
and when we seek to perform, -
11:13 - 11:16so that our efforts
can become more consequential, -
11:16 - 11:19our improvement never-ending
-
11:19 - 11:21and our best even better?
-
11:22 - 11:23Thank you.
-
11:23 - 11:27(Applause)
- Title:
- When performing gets in the way of improving | Eduardo Briceño | TEDxManhattanBeach
- Description:
-
Working hard but not improving? Looking for more innovative solutions and ideas? You are not alone. Eduardo explains how in life we move between the performing zone and the learning zone, and unless we find a way to successfully spend time in both zones, we compromise improvement and innovation.
An alumni speaker of TEDxManhattanBeach, Eduardo is the Co-Founder and CEO of Mindset Works. Eduardo has spoken at numerous industry conferences for educators, school leaders, business executives, policy makers, and others. His highly-rated 2012 TEDxManhattanBeach talk on the growth mindset has been viewed by over 1.5 million people.
Eduardo grew up in Caracas, Venezuela and received Bachelor degrees in Economics and Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, as well as an MBA and M.A. in Education from Stanford University. Most importantly, he continues to enjoy lifelong learning every day.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDxTalks
- Duration:
- 11:29
Krystian Aparta edited English subtitles for When performing gets in the way of improving | Eduardo Briceño | TEDxManhattanBeach | ||
Krystian Aparta edited English subtitles for When performing gets in the way of improving | Eduardo Briceño | TEDxManhattanBeach | ||
Krystian Aparta edited English subtitles for When performing gets in the way of improving | Eduardo Briceño | TEDxManhattanBeach |