WYSIWYG – The Art of Perfect Execution!

Those of you who like me saw the early days of the Personal Computer age would recollect the phrase WYSIWYG (“What You See Is What You Get”) - when the computer monitor screen started supporting serious graphics display capabilities. When the image on the monitor was close enough to the quality of the printout that the printer spewed out when you hit the print button! Wow! Still considered a milestone in the history of personal computing!

Technically speaking ‘WYSIWYG’ actually symbolizes all innovations, inventions, progressions and discoveries that have radically impacted our world, our civilization, our lives and everything it holds! It also represents an intrinsic character that every successful individual represents. It is called the power of Visualization – What you SEE is What you GET!

From Rosa Parks to Martin Luther King to Barrack Obama is an incredible journey that was based on rights, equality, freedom and change. It started with someone visualizing about what the world ought to be rather than accept it as it is – a small step was taken. Over the years the vision broadened taking into its fold other aspirations, hopes and dreams of many more people. The visual grew in scale and the impact feeding off the millions of people whose lives it touched finally peaked on an early November day when history was rewritten as America elected its new President!

I enjoy many sports and do so because participating or even just watching top class sportspeople fires me up physically and emotionally! I have often read and observed these greats – seen them focus on the incredible power of Visualization. I have seen what their coaches take them through as they help them stay relevant in the highest levels of the game!

Whether it is golf, tennis or other categories (especially individual sports), watch the intense gaze of these top pros between strokes, as they go though their motions or during a game break. Their eyes are focused but the gaze seems to be far away – looking at nothing, totally insulated from whatever surrounds them! They are actually mentally playing out their next moves on a high res mental video screen over and over! Seeing exactly what they are going to do next, soaking in it, visualizing it – then they take every conscious thought off their minds and execute that mental video! Sure enough the result is quite close to what they visualized if not better! I have tried this myself when playing and depending on my preparedness and commitment, I sometimes do get the result!

Why sometimes? Why not always? The key to successful visual results is “Preparedness”. Quite obvious, right? Trust me, I have come across many instances where I have seen trained professionals going out into execution mode without adequate preparedness … now that does not work, regardless of your caliber!

So, here is how I see the buildup whether at the workplace or in the playing field. Dare to dream in the area of your interest and set some personal goals that you are totally committed to (the more audacious, the better as long as they are practical). Next, know the rules of the game (a.k.a the Standard Operating Procedure within organizations), employee handbooks and functional operating guidelines are the normal sources – check! This is crucial but most people ignore it or do not spend enough time on. Being an absolute master of the rules will allow you to take advantage of the rules or lack of it while being fully aware of the downside.

Next totally absorb the Core Base skills required to be successful in the position that you are in and then seek out the Incremental Skills that will make a difference to your performance in – this is where you start to get ahead of the pack. While the Core Skills are usually documented and relatively easy to build, the Incremental Skills are not! Reason why most people are quite weak in this department! Seeking internal and external mentors, wide networking and constant referencing – a healthy reading habit is a wonderful tool are some options available to you. Most often I have noticed that top performers are very comfortable in discussing and expressing their views in topics way outside of their principal areas of competency! On the contrary the average player is quite limited even in what should be supposedly their zone of competency.

Follow this with very hard work (no shortcuts here!) regardless of your talent and thoroughly practice the skills you have acquired. Pitch it in every conceivable situation and see how you do, socializing this learning with like minded friends, colleagues and family is one way to get it done. I can literally hear you say – “Easily said … where is the time or the opportunity?” Totally agree, but you need to make both available if you win at this game!

The Power of Visualization will only work when your inner self is totally confident that you can faultlessly deliver what you have learnt. The only way to make this possible is when you physically repeat the action over and over again – be it presenting to a customer, writing a document, driving a golf ball down the fairway or executing a slick cross court volley. Relentless practice will make your mind and body absolutely rehearsed and comfortable in delivering the desired outcome. Practicing over and over will also convince your inner being that you can do it! It gives the power to the mind to play the video of perfect execution picking up pieces from the hard work it saw you do while you were building and rehearsing the skill.

What unfolds next is brilliant – you are there preparing to do what you are supposed to, eyes (customers, colleagues, friends, adversaries) watching you. You know your stuff and are fully prepared with countless hours of learning and practice. Now play the mental video .. visualize the end result clearly – you have delivered a brilliant performance, everyone is blown away by what you have done, profusely congratulating or applauding you... Next, take every other restraining thought off your head and execute. You have done it…..

I am doing the same here, visualizing that you will have benefited from the perspective of this post. I am sure you have!