WEBVTT

00:00:00.760 --> 00:00:04.776
Most of us go through life trying
to do our best at whatever we do,

00:00:04.800 --> 00:00:07.376
whether it's our job, family, school

00:00:07.400 --> 00:00:08.600
or anything else.

00:00:09.240 --> 00:00:11.040
I feel that way. I try my best.

00:00:11.920 --> 00:00:14.816
But some time ago, I came to a realization

00:00:14.840 --> 00:00:18.616
that I wasn't getting much better
at the things I cared most about,

00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:21.816
whether it was being a husband or a friend

00:00:21.840 --> 00:00:24.056
or a professional or teammate,

00:00:24.080 --> 00:00:26.096
and I wasn't improving
much at those things

00:00:26.120 --> 00:00:28.656
even though I was spending a lot of time

00:00:28.680 --> 00:00:29.880
working hard at them.

00:00:31.200 --> 00:00:34.576
I've since realized from conversations
I've had and from research

00:00:34.600 --> 00:00:37.256
that this stagnation, despite hard work,

00:00:37.280 --> 00:00:39.016
turns out to be pretty common.

00:00:39.040 --> 00:00:41.896
So I'd like to share with you
some insights into why that is

00:00:41.920 --> 00:00:43.444
and what we can all do about it.

00:00:44.160 --> 00:00:46.656
What I've learned
is that the most effective people

00:00:46.680 --> 00:00:48.656
and teams in any domain

00:00:48.680 --> 00:00:50.320
do something we can all emulate.

00:00:51.000 --> 00:00:55.056
They go through life deliberately
alternating between two zones:

00:00:55.080 --> 00:00:57.160
the learning zone
and the performance zone.

NOTE Paragraph

00:00:58.160 --> 00:01:00.816
The learning zone
is when our goal is to improve.

00:01:00.840 --> 00:01:03.936
Then we do activities
designed for improvement,

00:01:03.960 --> 00:01:06.416
concentrating on what
we haven't mastered yet,

00:01:06.440 --> 00:01:08.896
which means we have to expect
to make mistakes,

00:01:08.920 --> 00:01:10.720
knowing that we will learn from them.

00:01:11.160 --> 00:01:14.896
That is very different from what we do
when we're in our performance zone,

00:01:14.920 --> 00:01:19.216
which is when our goal is to do something
as best as we can, to execute.

00:01:19.240 --> 00:01:21.856
Then we concentrate
on what we have already mastered

00:01:21.880 --> 00:01:23.640
and we try to minimize mistakes.

NOTE Paragraph

00:01:24.840 --> 00:01:27.256
Both of these zones
should be part of our lives,

00:01:27.280 --> 00:01:30.536
but being clear about
when we want to be in each of them,

00:01:30.560 --> 00:01:32.856
with what goal, focus and expectations,

00:01:32.880 --> 00:01:35.696
helps us better perform
and better improve.

00:01:35.720 --> 00:01:38.656
The performance zone maximizes
our immediate performance,

00:01:38.680 --> 00:01:40.776
while the learning zone
maximizes our growth

00:01:40.800 --> 00:01:42.086
and our future performance.

00:01:43.320 --> 00:01:45.376
The reason many of us don't improve much

00:01:45.400 --> 00:01:47.136
despite our hard work

00:01:47.160 --> 00:01:51.160
is that we tend to spend almost
all of our time in the performance zone.

00:01:51.880 --> 00:01:53.256
This hinders our growth,

00:01:53.280 --> 00:01:56.360
and ironically, over the long term,
also our performance.

NOTE Paragraph

00:01:58.040 --> 00:02:00.000
So what does the learning zone look like?

00:02:00.760 --> 00:02:02.776
Take Demosthenes, a political leader

00:02:02.800 --> 00:02:05.640
and the greatest orator
and lawyer in ancient Greece.

00:02:06.240 --> 00:02:09.895
To become great,
he didn't spend all his time

00:02:09.919 --> 00:02:12.336
just being an orator or a lawyer,

00:02:12.360 --> 00:02:14.536
which would be his performance zone.

00:02:14.560 --> 00:02:17.180
But instead, he did activities
designed for improvement.

00:02:17.600 --> 00:02:18.976
Of course, he studied a lot.

00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:21.816
He studied law and philosophy
with guidance from mentors,

00:02:21.840 --> 00:02:26.376
but he also realized that being a lawyer
involved persuading other people,

00:02:26.400 --> 00:02:28.776
so he also studied great speeches

00:02:28.800 --> 00:02:30.000
and acting.

00:02:30.640 --> 00:02:34.936
To get rid of an odd habit he had
of involuntarily lifting his shoulder,

00:02:34.960 --> 00:02:37.376
he practiced his speeches
in front of a mirror,

00:02:37.400 --> 00:02:40.376
and he suspended a sword from the ceiling

00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:42.136
so that if he raised his shoulder,

00:02:42.160 --> 00:02:43.376
it would hurt.

NOTE Paragraph

00:02:43.400 --> 00:02:45.016
(Laughter)

NOTE Paragraph

00:02:45.040 --> 00:02:47.176
To speak more clearly despite a lisp,

00:02:47.200 --> 00:02:50.040
he went through his speeches
with stones in his mouth.

00:02:50.840 --> 00:02:52.216
He built an underground room

00:02:52.240 --> 00:02:54.376
where he could practice
without interruptions

00:02:54.400 --> 00:02:55.816
and not disturb other people.

00:02:55.840 --> 00:02:57.976
And since courts at the time
were very noisy,

00:02:58.000 --> 00:02:59.856
he also practiced by the ocean,

00:02:59.880 --> 00:03:02.440
projecting his voice
above the roar of the waves.

NOTE Paragraph

00:03:03.400 --> 00:03:05.096
His activities in the learning zone

00:03:05.120 --> 00:03:07.616
were very different
from his activities in court,

00:03:07.640 --> 00:03:08.920
his performance zone.

00:03:09.760 --> 00:03:10.976
In the learning zone,

00:03:11.000 --> 00:03:13.776
he did what Dr. Anders Ericsson
calls deliberate practice.

00:03:13.800 --> 00:03:17.336
This involves breaking down
abilities into component skills,

00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:20.256
being clear about what subskill
we're working to improve,

00:03:20.280 --> 00:03:22.256
like keeping our shoulders down,

00:03:22.280 --> 00:03:25.136
giving full concentration
to a high level of challenge

00:03:25.160 --> 00:03:26.576
outside our comfort zone,

00:03:26.600 --> 00:03:28.936
just beyond what we can currently do,

00:03:28.960 --> 00:03:32.176
using frequent feedback
with repetition and adjustments,

00:03:32.200 --> 00:03:35.176
and ideally engaging the guidance
of a skilled coach,

00:03:35.200 --> 00:03:37.256
because activities
designed for improvement

00:03:37.280 --> 00:03:38.536
are domain-specific,

00:03:38.560 --> 00:03:41.456
and great teachers and coaches
know what those activities are

00:03:41.480 --> 00:03:43.360
and can also give us expert feedback.

00:03:43.960 --> 00:03:46.656
It is this type of practice
in the learning zone

00:03:46.680 --> 00:03:48.576
which leads to substantial improvement,

00:03:48.600 --> 00:03:50.960
not just time on task performing.

00:03:51.960 --> 00:03:55.136
For example, research shows
that after the first couple of years

00:03:55.160 --> 00:03:56.416
working in a profession,

00:03:56.440 --> 00:03:58.776
performance usually plateaus.

00:03:58.800 --> 00:04:01.856
This has been shown to be true
in teaching, general medicine,

00:04:01.880 --> 00:04:03.576
nursing and other fields,

00:04:03.600 --> 00:04:07.336
and it happens because once we think
we have become good enough,

00:04:07.360 --> 00:04:08.576
adequate,

00:04:08.600 --> 00:04:10.856
then we stop spending time
in the learning zone.

00:04:10.880 --> 00:04:13.056
We focus all our time
on just doing our job,

00:04:13.080 --> 00:04:14.296
performing,

00:04:14.320 --> 00:04:16.640
which turns out not to be
a great way to improve.

00:04:17.160 --> 00:04:20.096
But the people who continue
to spend time in the learning zone

00:04:20.120 --> 00:04:22.256
do continue to always improve.

00:04:22.280 --> 00:04:24.696
The best salespeople at least once a week

00:04:24.720 --> 00:04:27.336
do activities with
the goal of improvement.

00:04:27.360 --> 00:04:29.136
They read to extend their knowledge,

00:04:29.160 --> 00:04:31.576
consult with colleagues or domain experts,

00:04:31.600 --> 00:04:34.600
try out new strategies,
solicit feedback and reflect.

00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:36.976
The best chess players

00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:40.536
spend a lot of time
not playing games of chess,

00:04:40.560 --> 00:04:42.496
which would be their performance zone,

00:04:42.520 --> 00:04:46.000
but trying to predict the moves
grand masters made and analyzing them.

00:04:46.920 --> 00:04:51.016
Each of us has probably spent
many, many, many hours

00:04:51.040 --> 00:04:52.576
typing on a computer

00:04:52.600 --> 00:04:54.176
without getting faster,

00:04:54.200 --> 00:04:57.616
but if we spent 10 to 20 minutes each day

00:04:57.640 --> 00:05:00.816
fully concentrating
on typing 10 to 20 percent faster

00:05:00.840 --> 00:05:02.416
than our current reliable speed,

00:05:02.440 --> 00:05:03.696
we would get faster,

00:05:03.720 --> 00:05:06.736
especially if we also identified
what mistakes we're making

00:05:06.760 --> 00:05:08.720
and practiced typing those words.

00:05:09.400 --> 00:05:10.800
That's deliberate practice.

NOTE Paragraph

00:05:12.280 --> 00:05:14.016
In what other parts of our lives,

00:05:14.040 --> 00:05:15.736
perhaps that we care more about,

00:05:15.760 --> 00:05:18.296
are we working hard but not improving much

00:05:18.320 --> 00:05:20.640
because we're always
in the performance zone?

00:05:22.560 --> 00:05:25.536
Now, this is not to say
that the performance zone has no value.

00:05:25.560 --> 00:05:26.776
It very much does.

00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:29.456
When I needed a knee surgery,
I didn't tell the surgeon,

00:05:29.480 --> 00:05:32.136
"Poke around in there
and focus on what you don't know."

NOTE Paragraph

00:05:32.160 --> 00:05:33.176
(Laughter)

NOTE Paragraph

00:05:33.200 --> 00:05:34.800
"We'll learn from your mistakes!"

00:05:35.680 --> 00:05:38.936
I looked for a surgeon
who I felt would do a good job,

00:05:38.960 --> 00:05:40.600
and I wanted her to do a good job.

00:05:41.160 --> 00:05:42.576
Being in the performance zone

00:05:42.600 --> 00:05:45.240
allows us to get things done
as best as we can.

00:05:45.800 --> 00:05:47.176
It can also be motivating,

00:05:47.200 --> 00:05:50.776
and it provides us with information
to identify what to focus on next

00:05:50.800 --> 00:05:53.096
when we go back to the learning zone.

00:05:53.120 --> 00:05:54.816
So the way to high performance

00:05:54.840 --> 00:05:58.536
is to alternate between the learning zone
and the performance zone,

00:05:58.560 --> 00:06:01.096
purposefully building our skills
in the learning zone,

00:06:01.120 --> 00:06:03.520
then applying those skills
in the performance zone.

NOTE Paragraph

00:06:04.560 --> 00:06:06.576
When Beyoncé is on tour,

00:06:06.600 --> 00:06:09.776
during the concert,
she's in her performance zone,

00:06:09.800 --> 00:06:12.296
but every night when she
gets back to the hotel room,

00:06:12.320 --> 00:06:14.536
she goes right back
into her learning zone.

00:06:14.560 --> 00:06:17.336
She watches a video
of the show that just ended.

00:06:17.360 --> 00:06:19.496
She identifies opportunities
for improvement,

00:06:19.520 --> 00:06:22.136
for herself, her dancers
and her camera staff.

00:06:22.160 --> 00:06:23.416
And the next morning,

00:06:23.440 --> 00:06:26.496
everyone receives pages of notes
with what to adjust,

00:06:26.520 --> 00:06:30.496
which they then work on during the day
before the next performance.

00:06:30.520 --> 00:06:31.736
It's a spiral

00:06:31.760 --> 00:06:33.336
to ever-increasing capabilities,

00:06:33.360 --> 00:06:36.976
but we need to know when we seek to learn,
and when we seek to perform,

00:06:37.000 --> 00:06:39.056
and while we want
to spend time doing both,

00:06:39.080 --> 00:06:41.176
the more time we spend
in the learning zone,

00:06:41.200 --> 00:06:42.440
the more we'll improve.

NOTE Paragraph

00:06:43.360 --> 00:06:45.760
So how can we spend
more time in the learning zone?

00:06:47.040 --> 00:06:50.216
First, we must believe and understand

00:06:50.240 --> 00:06:51.576
that we can improve,

00:06:51.600 --> 00:06:53.120
what we call a growth mindset.

00:06:53.840 --> 00:06:57.096
Second, we must want
to improve at that particular skill.

00:06:57.120 --> 00:06:59.056
There has to be a purpose we care about,

00:06:59.080 --> 00:07:00.680
because it takes time and effort.

00:07:01.360 --> 00:07:04.376
Third, we must have an idea
about how to improve,

00:07:04.400 --> 00:07:06.096
what we can do to improve,

00:07:06.120 --> 00:07:08.696
not how I used to practice
the guitar as a teenager,

00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:10.816
performing songs over and over again,

00:07:10.840 --> 00:07:12.320
but doing deliberate practice.

00:07:12.960 --> 00:07:16.560
And fourth, we must be
in a low-stakes situation,

00:07:17.160 --> 00:07:19.376
because if mistakes are to be expected,

00:07:19.400 --> 00:07:22.416
then the consequence of making them
must not be catastrophic,

00:07:22.440 --> 00:07:23.680
or even very significant.

00:07:24.240 --> 00:07:27.936
A tightrope walker doesn't practice
new tricks without a net underneath,

00:07:27.960 --> 00:07:30.576
and an athlete wouldn't set out
to first try a new move

00:07:30.600 --> 00:07:31.934
during a championship match.

NOTE Paragraph

00:07:33.120 --> 00:07:34.776
One reason that in our lives

00:07:34.800 --> 00:07:37.256
we spend so much time
in the performance zone

00:07:37.280 --> 00:07:41.360
is that our environments
often are, unnecessarily, high stakes.

00:07:42.200 --> 00:07:44.416
We create social risks for one another,

00:07:44.440 --> 00:07:47.296
even in schools which are supposed
to be all about learning,

00:07:47.320 --> 00:07:49.456
and I'm not talking
about standardized tests.

00:07:49.480 --> 00:07:51.696
I mean that every minute of every day,

00:07:51.720 --> 00:07:54.416
many students in elementary
schools through colleges

00:07:54.440 --> 00:07:57.856
feel that if they make a mistake,
others will think less of them.

00:07:57.880 --> 00:07:59.816
No wonder they're always stressed out

00:07:59.840 --> 00:08:02.080
and not taking the risks
necessary for learning.

00:08:02.760 --> 00:08:05.016
But they learn
that mistakes are undesirable

00:08:05.040 --> 00:08:06.296
inadvertently

00:08:06.320 --> 00:08:09.816
when teachers or parents
are eager to hear just correct answers

00:08:09.840 --> 00:08:12.496
and reject mistakes
rather than welcome and examine them

00:08:12.520 --> 00:08:13.776
to learn from them,

00:08:13.800 --> 00:08:15.536
or when we look for narrow responses

00:08:15.560 --> 00:08:17.776
rather than encourage
more exploratory thinking

00:08:17.800 --> 00:08:19.136
that we can all learn from.

00:08:19.160 --> 00:08:22.256
When all homework or student work
has a number or a letter on it,

00:08:22.280 --> 00:08:24.016
and counts towards a final grade,

00:08:24.040 --> 00:08:27.616
rather than being used for practice,
mistakes, feedback and revision,

00:08:27.640 --> 00:08:30.840
we send the message
that school is a performance zone.

NOTE Paragraph

00:08:32.240 --> 00:08:34.296
The same is true in our workplaces.

00:08:34.320 --> 00:08:38.336
In the companies I consult with,
I often see flawless execution cultures

00:08:38.360 --> 00:08:40.936
which leaders foster
to encourage great work.

00:08:40.960 --> 00:08:43.496
But that leads employees
to stay within what they know

00:08:43.520 --> 00:08:44.776
and not try new things,

00:08:44.800 --> 00:08:47.136
so companies struggle
to innovate and improve,

00:08:47.160 --> 00:08:48.360
and they fall behind.

NOTE Paragraph

00:08:49.960 --> 00:08:52.256
We can create more spaces for growth

00:08:52.280 --> 00:08:54.336
by starting conversations with one another

00:08:54.360 --> 00:08:56.640
about when we want to be in each zone.

00:08:57.240 --> 00:08:59.936
What do we want to get better at and how?

00:08:59.960 --> 00:09:02.960
And when do we want
to execute and minimize mistakes?

00:09:03.680 --> 00:09:06.696
That way, we gain clarity
about what success is,

00:09:06.720 --> 00:09:08.800
when, and how to best support one another.

NOTE Paragraph

00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:13.096
But what if we find ourselves
in a chronic high-stakes setting

00:09:13.120 --> 00:09:15.840
and we feel we can't
start those conversations yet?

00:09:16.720 --> 00:09:19.816
Then here are three things
that we can still do as individuals.

00:09:19.840 --> 00:09:24.120
First, we can create low-stakes islands
in an otherwise high-stakes sea.

00:09:24.640 --> 00:09:27.376
These are spaces where mistakes
have little consequence.

00:09:27.400 --> 00:09:30.856
For example, we might find
a mentor or a trusted colleague

00:09:30.880 --> 00:09:34.056
with whom we can exchange ideas
or have vulnerable conversations

00:09:34.080 --> 00:09:35.456
or even role-play.

00:09:35.480 --> 00:09:39.096
Or we can ask for feedback-oriented
meetings as projects progress.

00:09:39.120 --> 00:09:43.256
Or we can set aside time to read
or watch videos or take online courses.

00:09:43.280 --> 00:09:44.680
Those are just some examples.

00:09:45.360 --> 00:09:49.536
Second, we can execute
and perform as we're expected,

00:09:49.560 --> 00:09:52.136
but then reflect on what
we could do better next time,

00:09:52.160 --> 00:09:53.416
like Beyoncé does,

00:09:53.440 --> 00:09:55.576
and we can observe and emulate experts.

00:09:55.600 --> 00:09:59.120
The observation, reflection
and adjustment is a learning zone.

00:09:59.880 --> 00:10:02.080
And finally, we can lead

00:10:02.760 --> 00:10:06.336
and lower the stakes for others
by sharing what we want to get better at,

00:10:06.360 --> 00:10:08.856
by asking questions
about what we don't know,

00:10:08.880 --> 00:10:11.376
by soliciting feedback
and by sharing our mistakes

00:10:11.400 --> 00:10:13.016
and what we've learned from them,

00:10:13.040 --> 00:10:15.120
so that others
can feel safe to do the same.

NOTE Paragraph

00:10:15.760 --> 00:10:19.280
Real confidence is about
modeling ongoing learning.

00:10:20.880 --> 00:10:25.336
What if, instead of spending
our lives doing, doing, doing,

00:10:25.360 --> 00:10:27.456
performing, performing, performing,

00:10:27.480 --> 00:10:29.760
we spent more time exploring,

00:10:30.640 --> 00:10:32.056
asking,

00:10:32.080 --> 00:10:33.376
listening,

00:10:33.400 --> 00:10:36.496
experimenting, reflecting,

00:10:36.520 --> 00:10:39.000
striving and becoming?

00:10:40.320 --> 00:10:43.136
What if we each always had something

00:10:43.160 --> 00:10:44.680
we were working to improve?

00:10:45.760 --> 00:10:48.176
What if we created more low-stakes islands

00:10:48.200 --> 00:10:49.400
and waters?

00:10:49.840 --> 00:10:52.296
And what if we got clear,

00:10:52.320 --> 00:10:54.696
within ourselves and with our teammates,

00:10:54.720 --> 00:10:58.256
about when we seek to learn
and when we seek to perform,

00:10:58.280 --> 00:11:01.336
so that our efforts
can become more consequential,

00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:04.016
our improvement never-ending

00:11:04.040 --> 00:11:06.320
and our best even better?

NOTE Paragraph

00:11:07.000 --> 00:11:08.200
Thank you.