Are You a Top Performer?
by Dr. Keith E. Webb
October 3, 2007

Are you one of the top 10% of performers in your organization?

Got your answer? Read on...

A recent poll in Business Week found that overall 90% of workers polled said they were in the top 10% of performers. An impossible number of "yes" responses came from 89% of females, 91% of males and a whopping 97% of executives.

How about you? Did you answer yes? I did! What's happening here?

Self-Image: Which is more important, feeling great about ourselves or achieving great things? This shouldn't be a difficult question. These days, however, self-image is exalted over actual character or achievement. Feeling good about ourselves is enough.

Reality: An inflated self-image will distort our view of reality, as will a poor self-image. Reality gets masked by understating or overstating problems, opportunities, importance, or urgency. By gaining perspective on our situation we can understand reality, the foundation of developing workable next steps.

Solutions: Self-image also can get in the way of developing solutions. A poor self-image presents too many solutions as unworkable. An inflated self-image sees anything as possible - and with very little work!

Coaches move their clients ahead by helping them gain perspective on the current reality of their situation and by co-creating a variety of workable options for action. While we never want to address self-image by "psyching someone up" or "knocking somebody down to size," insightful questions will help our clients see a more accurate picture.

Coaches must hold the tension between the client's current reality and their unrealized potential. A poor self-image magnifies current reality, while an inflated self-image believes potential to already be current reality.

Coaches assist their clients to growth past current reality toward their potential, whether or not that's in the top 10% of performers.

What are you thoughts on self-image, reality, and top performers? Let us know at our new blog.

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Copyright © 2007 Keith E. Webb & CRM

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Dr. Keith E. Webb is a trainer and experienced cross-cultural leadership coach helping organizations, teams, and individuals multiply their cross-cultural impact. Find free articles at http://www.CreativeResultsManagement.com.