Why do most performance improvement programs and change programs fail?

By Peter Sullivan

The wayside of business is full of brilliant men
who started out with a spurt, and lacked the stamina to finish.
Their places were taken by patient and unshowy plodders
who never knew when to quit.
J.R. Todd

Most development and change programs fail simply because they focus only on knowledge and facts and not on changing the mindsets of the individuals who will be affected by the change.

In this video Peter explains how using the latest research to build positive mindsets within your organisation can promote achievement and double the chance of success.

Peter Sullivan is a designer, developer and facilitator of evidence-based performance improvement programs. Using the latest research in positive psychology, neuroscience and behavioural change Peter can change individual’s attitudes - transforming business results. Tough minded optimism, promoting resilience and proactive behaviours predicts achievement in 9 out of 10 professions.

So if you have a major change planned or want to maximise the results from any development initiatives, then make sure you consider training for your organisation that will increase the resilience of your staff.  This will fortify them with the tough minded optimism necessary for them to press through any difficulties and discomfort and will greatly increase your chance of success. For more information on how to learn optimism: http://www.gordianbusiness.com.au/building-mental-toughness-res/ or to find out more about Peter himself: http://www.australianbusinesstraining.com.au.

This is the link to the video, http://youtu.be/cfP9hTT0mAg

However for those of you who are interested here is the full transcript of the video.

Why are most development programs falling short of their objectives?

Most leadership or sales or performance improvement programs focus on developing people’s knowledge and skills, but these alone are not enough to guarantee success.  What is needed is a strategy that focuses on behavioural change and building a performance mindset. It needs to move people way beyond the can do to the will do action.

Why is it so important to move people from the can do – knowledge, to the will do - action?

Businesses say their people are their most important asset, yet most businesses are only operating on a third of their people potential. Traditional approaches to engage and motivate people have largely yielded disappointing results.

How can we build a high performance organisation?

There is a surprising gap between what science knows and what business does. New evidence in positive psychology and neuroscience is creating new opportunities to help people be the best they can be. The evidence is clear that the key driver of human behaviour is the mindset, the attitude people bring to their circumstances. It’s the thinking habits they have when they encounter adversity or setbacks that determine whether they press on and become successful or whether they fade in their endeavours.

Even when people want to, why is it so hard to get people to change their behaviour?

Taking on a new behaviour is initially uncomfortable and those with a low frustration tolerance will often revert back to more comfortable and familiar ways. This is normal in the change process but certainly not helpful. What is needed is to build tough-minded optimism and resilience that then develops a performance mindset that allows people to push through the initial discomfort. Allows the brain to build new neural pathways for the success habits to be established. Neurons that fire together wire together.

How do you improve your best people?

Good people can become even better by developing a growth mindset. This is about building the optimism, resilience and persistence of individuals. These new thinking skills enable people to be able to bounce back quicker from setbacks and failures and stay focused on those high payoff activities that produce superior results. Extensive research has shown that tough minded optimism was a predictor of achievement in 9 out of 10 professions. These new thinking skills of optimism and resilience double people’s chance of success.