We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.

–Aristotle

Many of us at work are looking for ways to improve our level of work performance. However, the techniques we find for improving our performance often force us to change everything about ourselves or require a larger commitment that we are unable or unwilling to make. I am looking for methods that can improve my overall performance—by maximizing my current effort and I have found one—it is called interval training.

Some of you are already familiar with interval training as a tool for working out —running, biking etc. But this technique can be applied to work and may be just what you have been searching for. Simply put, interval training is a process for improving your performance and reaching excellence, by optimizing your current efforts.

How does it work?

During interval training, the person exercising has two exercise levels; we’ll call them, normal and push. During the regular exercise time the person moves between the two levels. The push level is sustained for a short interval, sometimes as short as 20 seconds or as long as a minute and then the exerciser returns to the normal level. The normal level is maintained for at least twice as long as the push level and is used as a break and a rest from the push level. By moving to the push level the person improves performance. By pushing only for a short interval the person can build up ability.

What does interval training have to do with reaching excellence at work?

A quotation from Aristotle gives us the bridge connecting exercise and work. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit. To me, this means that for each of us to reach a new higher level we need to have that new higher level as an automatic habit. And we all know that breaking old habits and developing new ones comes through a slow process of repeating the new until it becomes a new habit.

Why does this work?

Simply put, interval training forces you to practice the higher performance level. You get over the hurdle of growing a new habit by taking it in small chunks and at the same time honing your new techniques and skills.

How does it work….at work?

Take something that you are already doing, either a project or a regular task, like delivering service to customers. During the course of your day delivering customer service, pick two times that you will give outrageous customer service. You will pull out all the stops. You get the idea. Repeat this for a week. Then change it to three times for the next week and four times a week for the fourth week. At the end of the month, look at your level of customer service performance and how it has improved.

Another way to look at it is to try a technique that is new, twice the first day and for the first week and then three times for the next week and four times for the following week until a month is up. Now that technique will start to be part of your normal level. So it will be time to pick another technique to interval train with.

What about the push level?

Several factors determine and affect the push level. Length of time, level of push and number or push times. At the beginning of this new initiative the push will be shorter in duration, smaller in magnitude and less frequent. As you practice more, the push level will increase in duration, magnitude and frequency. The maximum push time is half the normal level. In time, your normal level will increase too.

Leadership, customer service, and team performance are all good candidates for improvement with interval training. When is the last time that your performance or the performance of your team improved? Without stress? Try this technique. Still need some help? Thinking Skills consulting may be just what you need to get on the road to excellence.

The quality of a person’s life is directly proportional to their commitment to excellence regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.

-Vince Lombardi