People often assume that “being well prepared” is enough to perform well. However, that preparation should include adequate practice to optimally improve job performance with greater impact and consistency.
Consider a professional athlete or an actor in a Broadway show. Such professionals excel because they practice. A professional tennis player finetunes her swing with repetition, while a stage actor rehearses lines over and over until they can deliver them not only accurately but also with emotion.
As in athletics or the creative arts, practice can serve professionals well in the workplace and help them excel. This is true when preparing for a sales pitch, or for a coaching session with an employee, or for presenting an idea to a group of peers or your boss, or presenting the next set of objectives to your team.
Preparation Should Include Practice
Preparedness and practice can both improve job performance. However, there is a big difference between the two. If you’re a salesperson getting ready for a sales call, you will likely research the client and carefully put together your presentation. You will enter the room “well prepared.” But is that enough?
If you were to include practice, you would rehearse your pitch—for example, in front of colleagues. You could then take their feedback and improve it. You could practice again in front of other colleagues and take that additional feedback to further refine the pitch. You would be truly well prepared.
While this kind of practicing or rehearsing requires time, the practice you put in beforehand will be reflected in your final result.
Consistent Practice Allows for Confident Delivery
Practice not only allows you to refine and truly master your message. It also results in building confidence and allows you to better deal with the unexpected, such as less time than anticipated or difficult questions.
If you practice sufficiently, you will reach a point where you feel extremely comfortable with the content, the timing, and any related interactions that follow. The odds are then much better that you will be more effective in delivering what you want to get across.
The adage “practice makes perfect” holds true—and it goes beyond just giving presentations. Practice can help in many professional contexts, from conducting difficult conversations with employees to managing customer complaints. In every case, the pre-work of practice will allow you to predict how you’re going to perform “on stage” in the actual moment.
Practice Now to Improve Job Performance Later
Most people concentrate on playing, not practicing. They psych themselves up mentally for “game day”—say, the big conversation with the boss or the important client presentation. While they may prepare well, that does not allow them to fine-tune their words and actions in the way that practicing does.
It’s through practice that you’re able to make mistakes, refine your approach, and anticipate the unexpected—all of which make you much more effective. Instead of focusing on game day, concentrate on the practice beforehand. That will guarantee a positive outcome when you “play,” improving your performance.