Have you ever asked the question in your workplace – what do we mean by high performance?
High performance is defined as ‘able to operate to a high standard or at a high speed’ (Cambridge, 2025) but what does this look like in the workplace?
Last week, we shared a story about a well-known coffee shop, reflecting on how the employees worked together to problem solve.
This led us to consider:
- When is high performance enough?
- When does it become over-servicing?
- Can high-performance reduce productivity?
Can the very definition of high performance actually lead to poor customer service? After all, receiving a coffee at high speed and to a high standard – is that high performance? Or is the experience, the conversation, and the feeling of connection the real measure of high performance in a coffee shop? It all depends on the customer’s purpose in visiting the coffee shop in the first place.
Think about your favourite coffee shop—whether a local boutique, a large chain, or, like my friend, your own home coffee station. What does high performance look like to you as the customer?
The Performance Curve: Balancing Challenge & Support
Psychological theory tells us that performance follows a curve (which is often referred to as the Yerkes-Dodson Law – shown above). This principle suggests that moderate levels of stress and challenge can enhance performance, but too much pressure leads to diminishing returns and, in some cases, eventual burnout.
A high-performing team needs to operate at an optimal point on this curve, where there is sufficient challenge to drive motivation but not so much pressure that it leads to disengagement or exhaustion. Leaders play a key role in balancing these factors, ensuring their teams are stimulated but not overwhelmed.
The Role of Psychological Safety in Sustained Performance
For high performance to be sustainable, psychological safety is critical. Psychological safety, as defined by Amy Edmondson, is the belief that one can take risks, make mistakes, and express ideas without fear of humiliation or punishment. When employees feel psychologically safe, they are more likely to contribute ideas, collaborate effectively, and recover quickly from setbacks.
Without psychological safety, teams may hesitate to challenge poor decisions, leading to group-think and stagnation. Conversely, fostering an environment where diverse thoughts are encouraged ensures innovation and resilience, which are both crucial elements for long-term success.
Defining High Performance in Your Workplace
As psychologists, we often work to understand the lens through which people view performance and success. Assumptions, biases, and habitual thinking all shape the way human decisions are made – some are practical, some emotional, some time-bound, and others context-specific. In many cases, there is no conscious thought process involved in decision-making. Think back to the last time you were in a coffee shop, what was the process of your decision-making about what your ordered? Can you write it down in detail? Explaining all the options you discounted?
If I asked you to explain why the person standing next to you made their decision about their coffee choices – what would you say? Would you know? You may if you knew them well, or you may not have any idea. But imagine if their definition of success was different to yours?
To define high performance for your team, consider these key questions:
- What does success look like for our team? – Is it efficiency, creativity, collaboration, or something else entirely?
- What is critical to our success? – Are there key behaviours, skills, or processes that underpin high performance?
- What behaviours or ways of working are crucial to our success? – Do we prioritise speed, precision, customer experience, or continuous improvement?
- What does failure look like for our team? – Understanding what ineffective performance looks like helps avoid missteps and course-correct effectively. Whilst it is important not to dwell on the negative looking at the opposite of success can be extremely helpful and insightful.
Rethinking High Performance: It’s More Than Just Speed
Going back to our coffee shop analogy. . .
High performance is not just about fast service. It’s about the right service, at the right time, in the right way. In the workplace, high performance isn’t just about productivity metrics. High performance at work is about sustainable, meaningful, and impactful ways-of-working that align with organisational goals, whilst ensuring employees thrive and grow.
By considering the performance curve and psychological safety, organisations can redefine what high performance truly means which benefits everyone. Organisations which create environments where both individuals and teams thrive are proven to be more profitable. Repeatably, time and time again after all – Money Matters But People Matter More.
