If You Play Like You Practice: Improving Work Performance

People often assume that being “well prepared” is enough to perform well. However, this preparation must include sufficient practice to best improve job performance with greater impact and consistency.

Think of a professional athlete or an actor in a Broadway show. These types of professionals succeed because they practice. A professional tennis player fine-tunes their stroke over and over, while a stage actor rehearses their lines over and over again until they can deliver them not only accurately but with emotion.

As in athletics or the creative arts, practice can serve professionals well in the workplace and help them succeed. This is true whether you’re preparing for a sales pitch, preparing for a coaching session with an employee, presenting an idea to a group of peers or your boss, or presenting the next set of goals to your team.

Preparation Must Include Practice

Preparation and practice can improve job performance. However, there is a big difference between the two. If you are a salesperson preparing for a sales call, you probably research the client and put together your presentation carefully. You walk into the room “well prepared.” But is that enough?

If you were to practice, you would rehearse your presentation—in front of your colleagues, for example. Then you could get their feedback and improve it. You could practice it again in front of other colleagues and use that additional feedback to improve the presentation even more. You would be really well prepared.

Although these types of practices or rehearsals are time-consuming, the practice you do beforehand will be reflected in your final result.

Consistent Execution Allows for Reliable Delivery

Practice not only allows you to refine and truly master your message, it also allows you to build confidence and better handle unexpected situations, such as less time than expected or difficult questions.

If you practice enough, you will reach a point where you feel extremely comfortable with the content, timing, and subsequent interactions. Then you are much more likely to be much more effective in conveying what you want to convey.

The saying “practice makes perfect” is true, and it goes beyond just giving presentations. Practice can help in many professional contexts, from having difficult conversations with employees to handling customer complaints. In either case, practicing up front will help you anticipate how you’ll perform “on stage” in real time.

Practice Now to Improve Your Work Performance Later

Most people focus on playing, not practicing. They mentally prepare themselves for “game day”—a big talk with the boss, for example, or an important client presentation. Even though they’re well prepared, this doesn’t allow them to fine-tune their words and movements the way practicing does.

With practice you can make mistakes, improve your approach and anticipate the unexpected; all of these things make you much more effective. Instead of focusing on match day, focus on training beforehand. This will ensure a positive outcome when you “play” and improve your performance.