The art of sustainable performance

Foreword Henk Ouwens 9

Prologue: Billy Beane 13
Swarms of Scouts 13
Kiss of Death 14
Logic, Science and Baseball 16
A True Winner 17

Introduction 21
Time to Take Stock 22
What Is Needed to Continue Performing? 23
The Journey, Not the Destination 24
Past Performance 25
Culture of Mediocrity 26
Moneyball 27

1. The Importance of Sustainable Development 31
Intrinsic Motivation 33
Successful Selection 34
Performance Indicators and Selection Criteria 35
Research Model and Questions 37
Structure of the Book 39
On a Final Note 40

2. Talent 43
The Concept of “Talent” 44
Talent Is Overrated 44
The Art o 6 f Sustainable Performance
Individuals Who Excel 45
Winner DNA or Dedication? 49
Goldmines 50
Deliberate practice 52
Results of the Study 53

3. Intelligence, Willpower and Intrinsic Motivation 57
Intelligence and Willpower 58
Discipline and Rules 60
Ego Depletion 61
Intrinsic motivation 62
The Motivation Continuum 64
Motivation 3.0 65
Results of the Study 67

4. Adaptability 71
The Importance of Adaptability 72
VUCA 73
Radical Changes 74
Agile talent 76
Results of the Study 77

5. Self-efficacy 81
Risk Avoidance 82
Domain-specific Knowledge Is Power 83
What Is Self-efficacy? 85
Deliberate Practice and Self-efficacy 86
Top Performers See Less and Understand More 87
Top Performers See the Future 89
Top Performers Know More by Seeing Less 90
A Powerful Combination 90
Results of the Study 92

6. Work Engagement 95
Success through Enthusiasm 96
The Theory of Work Engagement 97
Supreme Satisfaction 98
Highly Energetic Leading Doers (HELD) 99
Personal Sources of Energy 101
Results of the Study 104

7. Vigor 107
Energy and Motivation 108
The Hedgehog Concept 109
The Need for Vigor 110
Focus 112
Vigor and Self-efficacy 113
Results of the Study 115

8. Organizational Fit 119
Fit with Job and Supervisor 120
Organizational Culture and Change 121
Conditions for Success 122
Results of the Study 124

9. Performance Culture – All Blacks 127
The Organization as a Tribe 128
Whakapapa: The Higher Purpose 130
Ubuntu: Connection to Others and the Organization 132
Whanau: Ownership 133
Mana: Talent is Good, Character is Better 135

10. The Art of Sustainable Performance: The Zeigarnik Effect 139
The Brilliant Waiter 139
Memory Experiments 142
A Plan is Crucial 143
Subconscious Ability 147
Letting Go without Losing Focus 148
Recruitment and Selection 150

Conclusion and Summary 153
Professional Development 155
Organizational Development 158

Tools 163
Checklist Recruitment & Selection 164
Questionnaire Self-efficacy 165
Questionnaire Adaptability 166
Questionnaire Work Engagement 167
The STAR and STARR(A) Methods 169

Appendices 173
Appendix I – Justification of the Study 174
Appendix II – Most Important Results of the Study on Performance
Indicators 179
Appendix III – Correlation Matrix 180
Appendix IV – Correlation Matrix factors 182
Appendix V – Regression Analysis 183
Appendix VI – Results of the Study on the Use of Selection Criteria 184
Appendix VII – Results of the Study on Pad-analysis and Fit Research Model
(Structural Equation Modelling) 185
Appendix VIII – Research Model Analysis – Model-fit Analysis (AMOS) 187
Appendix IX – Glossary 189

Notes 193
Sources of Inspiration 197
Acknowledgements 205
About the Author 207