GAME on? A performance framework that's fun to play and actually works!

Whatever industry you work in, being able to improve performance is going to be vital – and that’s for yourself but also perhaps in leading those around you too. I’ve worked as a leadership trainer and coach for a few years now, and in my former career I also led teams in fast-paced commercial environments. Having a go-to approach for improving performance is one of my absolute must-haves.

But it’s also my belief that there are many approaches that (despite recommendations from leading experts!) I still find overly complicated and too time consuming to commit to in the long-term. And for me, performance frameworks shouldn’t be something that sit in a drawer and get dusted off once a quarter. Much like the seasons changing, for a performance framework to work it should have a natural rhythm moving from phase to phase. It should feel natural and intuitive but also see step changes as a result. But it also needs a bit of ‘oomph’. It needs to get you excited about the process.

It needs to be a game. It needs to be fun to play. It needs to make you feel like you can level up. And it needs to have just the right balance of challenge to not be too easy.

And that’s exactly what I created. GAME. Goals, Actions, Monitoring, Evolution. 4 steps to focus on self-improvement. All practical but also easy enough to understand and weave into daily life.  

So how does it work?

Goals:

We have to begin with goals to be clear about what we want to achieve. Whitmore’s GROW model does exactly this from a coaching perspective and replicating it in a performance model is no mistake. Setting direction and clarity is a must. But I believe for goals to have impact they need to speak to people not just be a series of actions (that comes next!). Goals should mean something on a personal level. They should help us feel we’re progressing, they should be something that we feel will make a difference. “Feel” is a key word here – we should feel something about our goal and what it can unlock for us personally and professionally.

Actions:

I’m a former project manager so I feel at home jumping into this ‘doing’ stage of the model. Drafting out plans of what needs to be done, how it needs to be done, when it needs to be done… I like this stage. I like to have a plan. But not everybody does. For some this stage can be a little woolly and not specific enough to prompt any action in the real world. Taking time to ask ourselves to define the tasks at hand can really help with this. And to do that we need to move from a mindset of intention to immediate action. Don’t just say you’ll get something done by the end of the month, estimate how long it’ll take, what you need access to to complete the task and allocate some time now. These small actions trigger the Zeigarnik effect as once we’ve made a start, even if just on logistics, we commit mentally to actually completing the task.

Monitoring:

But that’s not it… we need to monitor the effectiveness of our plans and actions. Even the best planners can make mistakes, and let’s not forget the fast-paced world of work that means we need to pivot more frequently than ever before. GAME isn’t about just making a plan and executing it, it’s about responding to real time challenges and opportunities to see if the approach still feels right. But plan in the monitoring. How often are you going to keep yourself accountable? Mini milestones can help you both check If you’re on track and also motivate you by seeing the progress that has been made on the journey.

Evolve:

Perhaps my favourite part of GAME is that it never actually ends. Having monitored how your goals and plans are going, the evolve stage is a time for you to decide what direction to go in next. Will your next goal become bigger and better? Will it morph into a different space for you to achieve something new. Will it be retired to make way for something entirely new? Whatever the outcome, the learnings from each round of GAME are taken forward to the next as they evolve into a new iteration. And this in itself is motivating and progressive.

GAME cycles don’t have set time limits- you can decide that for yourself (or your team), but it is a simple framework that has a rhythm and cyclical nature that supports forward momentum underpinned by both planning and reflection. Understanding that personal development is actually understanding how to play the GAME is not just wordplay. It brings control back to the ‘player’, giving them something to aim for and hopefully allowing them to enjoy the journey too.

But with that said I can’t resist ending this with a cheesy line of …. GAME on?