When we talk about performance, I think one of the first things that often comes to mind is the outcome.
Did we win? Did we achieve our target? Were we successful?
It's quite easy to associate performing well with achieving the result we wanted. But I think there's a distinction between performing at your best and getting the outcome you hoped for. And perhaps we don't always give enough consideration to that difference.
So, what does it actually mean to perform at your best?
For me, it's about being able to enjoy the performance, stick to the goals and processes you've set yourself, and give the best account of yourself, regardless of the outcome.
That doesn't mean the outcome isn't important. Of course it is. We compete to win, we set goals because we want to achieve them, and we want our efforts to lead somewhere. But I don't think the result should be the only measure of whether we've performed well.
Does performing at your best mean enjoying every moment?
I think enjoyment is an important part of performance, although I don't necessarily think that means you have to enjoy every moment of what you're doing.
Sometimes, enjoyment comes from seeing the things you've worked on in training start to come together. For example, in rugby, you might have been practising running particular lines or movements, and then during a game you start executing them successfully. You're breaking the gain line, creating opportunities and seeing the benefits of the work you've put in. There's a real sense of satisfaction in that, and it can make the performance enjoyable while it's happening.
But I think enjoyment can also come afterwards.
Take rock climbing as an example. If I'm pushing myself on a particularly difficult climb, there might be moments when I find it incredibly challenging, uncomfortable or even frightening. I'm not necessarily enjoying those moments while I'm experiencing them. But once I've finished, I can look back and recognise that I've pushed myself beyond what I previously thought I could do. I've challenged myself, developed and potentially reached a new goal.
For me, both of those experiences are part of enjoying performance.
I don't think we should confuse enjoying something with it always being comfortable or easy. Sometimes the most rewarding performances are the ones that challenge us the most.
Performance isn't always reflected in the result
Imagine playing a round of golf and shooting the best score of your life. You've played exceptionally well, executed the shots you've been working on and achieved something you've never achieved before. But someone else has played even better that day, and you don't win.
Would you say you performed poorly?
I wouldn't.
You've delivered the best round of golf you've ever played, but the outcome hasn't necessarily reflected that in the way you might have hoped.
The same applies in the workplace.
Imagine preparing and delivering what you believe to be your best sales pitch. You've researched the company, understood its requirements, presented your proposition confidently, answered questions and demonstrated the value of the services you're offering. You leave the meeting feeling that you've delivered an excellent pitch and built a positive relationship.
However, the company has recently experienced financial difficulties and simply can't afford to take on the services, despite being interested. Alternatively, they've already committed to another provider.
You haven't secured the sale, but does that mean you've performed poorly?
I'd argue not necessarily. You may have delivered an excellent pitch, done everything you could to meet the client's needs and represented your organisation exceptionally well. The outcome has been influenced by circumstances that weren't within your control.
The same can apply across different sports and working environments. There are often factors that influence an outcome that are outside our control. It might be an opposition player, a referee's decision, the weather, a customer's financial circumstances or, in a team environment, the performance of your teammates.
None of these things necessarily take away from the quality of your own performance.
We can perform exceptionally well and still fail to achieve the result we wanted. Equally, we can achieve a good result without necessarily delivering the performance we were capable of.
I think it's important that we recognise the difference.
What does a good performance look like for you?
Something else I've come to appreciate is that there isn't one universal definition of performing at your best. In fact, I don't think there's necessarily one way of measuring it, either.
For me, it's often a feeling, and that feeling can change depending on what I'm trying to achieve from a particular performance.
Take rugby, for example. I might finish a game feeling that I've performed really well because I've given a good account of myself. I can't control how often I receive the ball or what opportunities come my way, but I can control what I do when those opportunities arise. Knowing that I've made them count, made good decisions and performed well when called upon can leave me feeling that I've delivered a good performance.
Climbing is another example. Sometimes, a good performance might be about pushing myself onto a harder grade and overcoming something I previously struggled with. On another occasion, it might be about climbing an easier route but feeling that my movement was smooth, controlled and confident. I might not have pushed my grade, but I've climbed well and felt comfortable throughout.
Equally, on a particularly difficult climb, I might feel nervous or scared, but reaching the top despite those challenges can make it a really rewarding performance.
I think this highlights why it's important to understand what you're trying to achieve from each performance. What represents your best on one occasion might be completely different the next time. It's not always about achieving something bigger or better. Sometimes it's about executing something you've already done, but doing it better.
This is also why I think it's important to consider the goals we set ourselves. Having something to work towards is valuable, but not every goal needs to be based on an outcome. We can also set goals around how we want to perform and the things we want to do along the way.
Research by Williamson et al. (2024) into goal setting in sport supports the value of considering different types of goals, including process goals that focus on what a performer actually does during performance. It's not about ignoring the outcome, but making sure we give attention to the things that contribute to it.
Preparing to perform, not just practising to improve
I also think there's an important distinction between training and competition, although the two should always be considered together.
Without training, how do we expect to improve for competition? And without competition, what are we ultimately preparing for?
I believe training should be enjoyable, but it should also have a purpose. Part of that purpose should be preparing us for the environment in which we're expected to perform.
It's quite easy to fall into the habit of repeatedly practising a skill in a comfortable environment, becoming increasingly proficient at it without necessarily testing whether we can reproduce it when the demands change.
Take golf as an example. Spending time on a driving range is great for practising your swing. You're hitting from a relatively consistent surface, focusing on your own technique and working on improving a particular part of your game.
But can you reproduce that same swing when you're playing out of the rough? When the ball is sitting in a poor lie? When the wind is howling or it's raining? Or when your opponent has just played an exceptional shot and suddenly there's a little more pressure on your next one?
These are all different demands, and they're part of the environment in which you'll eventually be expected to perform.
The same applies across team sports. If training never introduces opposition, pressure, time constraints or distractions, we're potentially preparing players for an environment that doesn't really exist on match day.
Pinder et al conducted an interesting piece of research around representative learning design, which highlights the importance of including relevant features of the performance environment within practice. In other words, it's not just about practising the skill itself, but also developing the ability to use that skill when the conditions and demands change.
I also think we need to develop performers who can manage themselves rather than always relying on someone else to tell them what to do.
For example, in rugby, if something doesn't go to plan or a player makes a mistake, they need to be able to recognise what happened and make adjustments themselves. The coach won't always be there to provide feedback or instructions during a game. Players need to develop the confidence and ability to self diagnose and respond to what's happening around them.
This applies in the workplace too. An employee might be very good at following a process when everything goes to plan, but what happens when a customer raises an unexpected issue, a deadline changes or something goes wrong? Can they recognise what's happening, make a decision and adapt their approach without always needing someone else to step in?
Ultimately, improving a skill in training is important, but being able to transfer that skill into the environment in which you're expected to perform is just as important.
Taking responsibility without making excuses
Of course, recognising that the outcome doesn't always reflect the quality of our performance doesn't mean we should avoid taking responsibility when things don't go well.
There is a difference between recognising what was outside of our control and using those things as an excuse for something we could have done better.
I think this is where reflection becomes particularly important, and sometimes the questions we ask ourselves can make a real difference.
If someone finishes a game frustrated and starts blaming the referee, their teammates or other external factors, a simple question such as "What could you have done differently?" can help bring their attention back to their own performance.
Equally, if someone finishes a performance feeling disappointed and being overly critical of themselves, asking "Was there actually anything you could have done differently?" might help them recognise that some things were outside of their control and that they perhaps performed better than they initially thought.
The same approach can be applied in the workplace. If a sales pitch doesn't lead to a sale, it's worth looking at what happened. Was the proposition clear? Did you understand the customer's needs? Could you have handled a particular question differently? Or was the decision ultimately influenced by circumstances that had very little to do with your delivery?
The important thing is that these conversations aren't necessarily about telling someone whether they've performed well or badly. They're about helping them reflect, recognise what they can learn from and develop a more balanced understanding of their own performance.
And I think the way we approach those conversations needs to be just as individual as the performance itself.
The importance of adaptability and resilience
Our circumstances will change. Our goals might change, our processes might need adjusting, our mood and emotions will fluctuate, and the challenges we face won't always be the same.
We can't expect every performance to follow the same pattern.
What works for one person might not work for another, and what works for us in one situation might not be the right approach in another. We need to be willing to recognise that and adapt accordingly.
Mistakes will happen. There will be moments when things don't go as planned, when we make the wrong decision or when our performance falls short of what we expected.
But those moments don't have to define the rest of the performance.
Sometimes it's about having the resilience to move on. The next game is a new game. The next pass is a new pass. The next opportunity gives us another chance to get things right.
That doesn't mean ignoring mistakes or failing to learn from them. It means recognising what has happened, taking what we can from it and having the confidence to move forward.
A different way of looking at performance
My own understanding of performance has definitely changed over time.
I used to place much more emphasis on whether I received praise, whether I won or whether I was seen as successful. Quite often, that motivation was tied to other people's opinions and how they viewed my performance.
While that could be a strong motivator, through my experiences in the workplace, sport and other professional environments, I've become much more reflective in how I assess myself.
I'm more interested in looking at my performance as a whole, rather than simply judging it by the outcome or somebody else's opinion.
That doesn't mean external feedback isn't valuable. It absolutely is. But I've become more aware that I need to understand my own performance too.
I think that shift is important. It allows us to recognise when we've performed well, even if the outcome wasn't what we wanted. It also gives us the opportunity to identify where we can improve, even when we've been successful.
Research into goal-setting processes also highlights the value of reflection, feedback and adjusting goals as circumstances change. These aren't just things to consider after a performance; they can help us understand our progress and shape what we do next.
Ultimately, I don't think performing at your best is simply about winning, achieving a personal best or getting the recognition you hoped for.
It's about giving the best account of yourself, enjoying the process, staying committed to the things that matter and being able to adapt when things don't go to plan.
And perhaps most importantly, having the resilience to keep moving in the right direction.
Because your performance shouldn't always be defined by the result.