This post is the second in a series of posts on the 12 Transition Points, one of the Circle of Impact tools.

This transition point is not directly about performance. Instead it is about how we perceive performance as a measure of what matters to us.

There are two aspects of this situation worth exploring.

The Comfort Plateau

The first is something that I observed in clients during my two decades plus serving as an organizational consultant. I found that for many leaders they made decisions based upon what made them feel comfortable.

For example, I’d meet an executive. We’d talk about some need in his organization. We’d agree to do a project. However, once we began, I came to realize his perception of the problem was really about a symptom of a deeper problem.

It is like the difference between having a little piece of grit in your shoe which irritates your foot, and wearing shoes that are poorly fit, either too narrow, too short or long or lacking proper support. The difference in approach to resolving these differing perceptions of the problem is significant.

When comfort becomes a measure of performance, the leader spends his time trying to balance the competing demands of the organization. The feeling is that there is some golden mean of performance that can be achieved. We might think this is about managing risk, but it really isn’t. Instead it is about managing the emotional life of the leader.

This is why I see this as a transition point. One of the principles of the Circle of Impact is that the greatest change that we experience is in our self-perception. This is true, not just on a personal level, but also as we serve as organizational leaders. I’m convinced that without personal change at the top, there is little possibility for organizational change throughout the whole organization.

This is why I created the Impact Day program. It allows me to help people in leadership positions to move through their perceived symptoms of a problem or opportunity to get to the root of really what is going on. In addition to providing clarity, the process creates a path for the transformation of the individual leading to a similar path for the organization. The day ends with a plan of action that is simple, practical and leads to a clearly defined purpose for impact.

Comfort in this regard is a plateau problem. We are neither losing ground or gaining it. We are maintaining a kind of comfortable equilibrium that relieves us from having to think too deeply about the issues we face. It is a mark of mediocrity, which in today’s business climate only creates greater discomfort.

The Impact of Purpose

The other aspect of this situation concerns the purpose of the organization. A leader’s desire for comfort is a way of talking about their understanding of what the purpose of the organization has become. It is a self-serving purpose. It places the organization and all the people within it in a position of primarily serving the leader’s need for comfort. It erodes trust, transparency and the freedom to bring your best to work everyday. It is a recipe for declining performance at every level.

The connection between performance and purpose is an important question. I find that many leaders become confused about this question.

For example, there are times when it is imperative to cut costs in a significant way. This is particularly true when the company is needing to change direction or a significant crisis has occurred. Cost cutting is not an effective means to restore comfort. Instead, cutting costs should have the purpose of elevating the freedom of the company to move quickly into new opportunities. In this sense, instead of comfort, motivation and inspiration rise as new opportunities appear.

Let’s take this example another step. The reason we take these steps is because we established a clarity of purpose. Clarity enables us to see not only the conditions of our organization, but more importantly see the steps we need to take to create impact that we desire.

Impact is the change that makes a difference that matters. Being unable to define what it is that you want to change is why performance issues often seem so discomforting.  I find this way of thinking in many people. They are unclear of their ultimate purpose. They can describe what they do, the processes of their operation, and their quarterly performance numbers. Yet, they are not able to say why it matters. This is a source of much of the confusion that leaders and their organizations experience.

I created my Impact Day program to address the range of issues that come when an individual and their organization is in transition. We want to achieve an alignment of perspective between the dimensions of ideas, relationships and structure, with a focus on a purpose for impact that unites the whole environment. It is the first step in a transition from confusion to clarity, from mediocrity to excellence, and from a setting which is in disarray to one that is whole and prepared to grow.

If you are in transition or your organization is, then talk with me soon about setting up an Impact Day session for you.

A copy of the 12 Transition Points is available as a part of the Five Questions infographic that you’ll receive by signing up for my newsletter.