Pazik Performance Group

Here's what I've been working on in the shop!

Learn all about goal setting and what the real trick to goal setting is! I'll tell you this... it's not just about setting specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timed goals. It's about something EXTRA. If you REALLY want to reach your goals, listen to this podcast. 

Avoid Giving Sandwich Feedback: In many organizations, leaders tend to deliver feedback using the traditional sandwich method: You talk about a positive, then address an area that needs improvement, then finish with a positive. This makes sense in theory, but in practice it often leads to confusion, as people tend to focus either entirely on the positive or entirely on the negative. In the cultures I visited, I didn't see many feedback sandwiches. Instead, I saw them separate the two into different processes. They handled negatives through dialogue, first by asking if a person wants feedback, then having a learning-focused two-way conversation about the needed growth. They handled positives through ultraclear bursts of recognition and praise. The leaders I spent time with shared a capacity for radiating delight when they spotted behavior worth praising. These moments of warm, authentic happiness functioned as magnetic north, creating clarity, boosting belonging, and orienting future action.

"Belonging cues are behaviors that create safe connection in groups. They include, among others, proximity, eye contact, energy, mimicry, turn taking, attention, body language, vocal pitch, consistency of emphasis, and whether everyone talks to everyone else in the group... Belonging cues possess three basic qualities: Energy: They invest in the exchange that is occurring Individualization: They treat the person as unique and valued Future orientation: They signal the relationship will continue These cues add up to a message that can be described with a single phrase: You are safe here. They seek to notify our ever-vigilant brains that they can stop worrying about dangers and shift into connection mode, a condition called psychological safety." - Daniel Coyle

"We are solidly connected. Jonathan's group succeeds not because its members are smarter but because they are safer. We don't normally think of safety as being so important. We consider safety to be the equivalent of an emotional weather system—noticeable but hardly a difference maker. But what we see here gives us a window into a powerful idea. Safety is not mere emotional weather but rather the foundation on which strong culture is built." - Daniel Coyle

"Three negative archetypes: the Jerk (an aggressive, defiant deviant), the Slacker (a withholder of effort), and the Downer (a depressive Eeyore type)... “When Nick is the Downer, everybody comes into the meeting really energized. He acts quiet and tired and at some point puts his head down on his desk,” Felps says. “And then as the time goes by, they all start to behave that way, tired and quiet and low energy. By the end, there are three others with their heads down on their desks like him, all with their arms folded.” When Nick plays the Slacker, a similar pattern occurs. “The group quickly picks up on his vibe,” Felps says. “They get done with the project very quickly, and they do a half-assed job. What's interesting, though, is that when you ask them about it afterward, they're very positive on the surface. They say, ‘We did a good job, we enjoyed it.' But it isn't true. They'd picked up on the attitude that this project really didn't matter, that it wasn't worth their time or energy. I'd gone in expecting that someone in the group would get upset with the Slacker or the Downer. But nobody did. They were like, ‘Okay, if that's how it is, then we'll be Slackers and Downers too.' ” Except for one group. “It's the outlier group,” Felps says. “They first came to my attention when Nick mentioned that there was one group that felt really different to him. This group performed well no matter what he did. Nick said it was mostly because of one guy. You can see this guy is causing Nick to get almost infuriated—his negative moves aren't working like they had in the other groups, because this guy could find a way to flip it and engage everyone and get people moving toward the goal.” We'll call this person Jonathan. He is a thin, curly-haired young man with a quiet, steady voice and an easy smile. Despite the bad apple's efforts, Jonathan's group is attentive and energetic, and they produce high-quality results. The more fascinating part, from Felps's view, is that at first glance, Jonathan doesn't seem to be doing anything at all." - Daniel Coyle

"Culture is a set of living relationships working toward a shared goal. It's not something you are. It's something you do." - Daniel Coyle

"A strong culture increases net income 756 percent over eleven years, according to a Harvard study of more than two hundred companies." - Daniel Coyle

"He closed by telling us the real battle is won in the mind. It's won by guys who understand their areas of weakness, who sit and think about it, plotting and planning to improve. Attending to the detail. Work on their weaknesses and overcome them. Because they can." - Marcus Luttrell

"The distant words of Reno sung in my ears: 'Someone screws it up, the consequences affect everyone.'" - Marcus Luttrell

"When a special forces commander makes even a slight reference to an issue that may be helpful, listen and then do it. Even if it was an aside, not a proper command, maybe even starting with I think it might be a good idea if" - Marcus Luttrell

"And perhaps above all, your character is under a microscope at all times; instructors, teachers, senior chiefs, and officers are always watching for the character flaw, the weakness which may one day lead to the compromise of your teammates. We can't stand that. We can stand damn near anything, except that." - Marcus Luttrell

"Over and over during training, we were told never to be complacent." - Marcus Luttrell

"The philosophy of the U.S. Navy SEALs: “I will never quit. I persevere and thrive on adversity. My Nation expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my enemies. If knocked down, I will get back up, every time. I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my teammates and to accomplish our mission. I am never out of the fight.” - Marcus Luttrell

"Character is key because it is an indicator of a person's capacity. General William Boykin points to capacity as more important than current ability: “What are you looking for—hard skills or capacity? Ideally, you look for both, but if you have to choose, and you have a fair way of doing so, assess their capacity. What is their capacity to learn new skills? What's their capacity to think for themselves? What's their capacity to problem-solve?” - Mike Serraille

"Personality ≠ Character Personality and character are not the same thing. Character is a person's deep inner attributes that drive their decisions and behaviors. Personality is how someone outwardly presents themselves to the world. Drive, resiliency, adaptability, humility, integrity, effective intelligence, team-ability, curiosity, and emotional strength are all character traits. Personality is how someone exhibits those traits externally: they may be loud or quiet, obnoxious or charming." - Mike Serraille

(Three row table. First row says assessment and selection. Second row says training. Third row says combat/war.) "According to conventional wisdom, the first two rows of this table are non-revenue-generating functions. As such, many organizations spend as little as possible in these areas, viewing it as expense management, but not Special Operations. sof has long invested heavily in assessment/selection and training because these two stages are what determine victory or defeat in combat." - Mike Serraille

"The only way you have true talent acquisition is if your leaders at all levels, starting from the top and going to the bottom, are aligned with the belief that managing your human capital is just as important as managing your financial capital." - Mike Serraille

"Based on our research and interviews, we have identified nine core characteristics that mark an individual as having high potential: Drive—the unrelenting need for achievement and constant self-improvement Resiliency—the ability to persevere in the face of challenge and bounce back from setbacks Adaptability—the ability to adjust according to the situation, learn new things, innovate, and try new methods Humility—self-confidence in one's ability while understanding that there's always room for improvement and that others' experiences and knowledge are valuable Integrity—an adherence to not only what is legal but also what is right Effective intelligence—the ability to apply one's knowledge to real-world scenarios Team-ability—the ability to function as part of a team, placing the success of the whole above the needs of the self Curiosity—a desire to explore the unknown and question the status quo in pursuit of better, more effective solutions Emotional strength—a positive attitude, high empathy, and control over one's emotions, especially in chaotic and stressful situations." - Mike Serraille

"In business, as in the military, the only competitive advantage you can hope to achieve and maintain is your human capital. Nothing is as important to your company's success as your people. Not your product. Not your service. Your people." - Mike Serraille

"I am reminded of my goals at least 20 times a day because I write them on the back of my phone and have little notes around the house to keep me focused and motivated. I don't just read them, I say them out loud and I say them boldly. Our minds don't know the difference between real and imagined information. So I know if I say what I want to happen enough times, my mind will help me accomplish it. The other key for me is repetition. It's like riding a bike; I do it so many times that one day I don't even think about it, I just do it. That's what I try to achieve with my goals - I say my goals so often and with so much conviction that they actually come to fruition." - Tia Toomey

"Committing to a career has always been a really important decision for me because the rest of your life is a very long time." - Tia Toomey

"If I lost a race and started to sulk, I'd get shut down pretty quick smart by Dad. “Don't get upset. Reflect and think about what you did to prepare for that race and what you could do better next time. What did you eat, how much sleep did you get and how hard did you train? I bet there is always an area you can improve on.” - Tia Toomey

"Time waits for no one" - Tia Toomey

“Alright T, tell me how fast can you run?” “As fast as a leopard.” “Come on now, tell me, how fast are you going to run?!” “As fast as a leopard!” “Then let's see you do it!” - Tia Toomey

"Nobody else can take you to the place you want to end up. You have to get there yourself." - Tia Toomey

“We live in a world with a lot of insecure, jealous people. Some of them are our best friends. They are blood relatives. Failure terrifies them. So does our success. Because when we transcend what we once thought possible, push our limits, and become more, our light reflects off all the walls they've built up around them. Your light enables them to see the contours of their own prison, their own self-limitations. But if they are truly the great people you always believed them to be, their jealousy will evolve, and soon their imagination might hop its fence, and it will be their turn to change for the better.” - David Goggins

“It won't always go your way, so you can't get trapped in this idea that just because you've imagined a possibility for yourself that you somehow deserve it. Your entitled mind is dead weight. Cut it loose. Don't focus on what you think you deserve. Take aim on what you are willing to earn!” - David Goggins

"Tell the truth about the real reasons for your limitations and you will turn that negativity, which is real, into jet fuel. Those odds stacked against you will become a damn runway. There is no more time to waste. Hours and days evaporate like creeks in the desert. That's why it's okay to be cruel to yourself as long as you realize you're doing it to become better. We all need thicker skin to improve in life. Being soft when you look in the mirror isn't going to inspire the wholesale changes we need to shift our present and open up our future." - David Goggins

"The reason it's important to push hardest when you want to quit the most is because it helps you callous your mind." - David Goggins

"Remembering that you've been through difficulties before and have always survived to fight again shifts the conversation in your head. It will allow you to control and manage doubt, and keep you focused on taking each and every step necessary to achieve the task at hand." - David Goggins

"And never forget that all emotional and physical anguish is finite! It all ends eventually. Smile at pain and watch it fade for at least a second or two. If you can do that, you can string those seconds together and last longer than your opponent thinks you can, and that may be enough to catch a second wind. There is no scientific consensus on second wind. Some scientists think it's the result of endorphins flooding your nervous system, others think it's a burst of oxygen that can help break down lactic acid, as well as the glycogen and triglycerides muscles need to perform. Some say its purely psychological. All I know is that by going hard when we felt defeated we were able to ride a second wind through the worst night in Hell Week. And once you have that second wind behind you it's easy to break your opponent down and snatch a soul. The hard part is getting to that point, because the ticket to victory often comes down to bringing your very best when you feel your worst." - David Goggins

“Discipline starts every day when the first alarm clock goes off in the morning. I say ‘first alarm clock' because I have three, as I was taught by one of the most feared and respected instructors in SEAL training: one electric, one battery powered, one windup. That way, there is no excuse for not getting out of bed, especially with all that rests on that decisive moment. The moment the alarm goes off is the first test; it sets the tone for the rest of the day. The rest is not a complex one: when the alarm goes off, do you get up out of bed, or do you lie there in comfort and fall back to sleep? If you have the discipline to get out of bed, you win—you pass the test. If you are mentally weak for that moment and you let that weakness keep you in bed, you fail. Though it seems small, that weakness translates to more significant decisions. But if you exercise discipline, that too translates to more substantial elements of your life.” - Jocko Willink

“It was a shocking turn of events. Boat Crew VI, the same team in the same circumstances only under new leadership, went from the worst boat crew in the class to the best. Gone was their cursing and frustration. And gone too was the constant scrutiny and individual attention they had received from the SEAL instructor staff. Had I not witnessed this amazing transformation, I might have doubted it. But it was a glaring, undeniable example of one of the most fundamental and important truths at the heart of Extreme Ownership: there are no bad teams, only bad leaders.” - Jocko Willink

“Engage with them,” directed Jocko. “Build a personal relationship with them. Explain to them what you need from them and why, and ask them what you can do to help them get you what you need. Make them a part of your team, not an excuse for your team." - Jocko Willink

"Ego clouds and disrupts everything: the planning process, the ability to take good advice, and the ability to accept constructive criticism." - Jocko Willink

"In order to convince and inspire others to follow and accomplish a mission, a leader must be a true believer in the mission." - Jocko Willink

"I stood before the group. “Whose fault was this?” I asked to the roomful of teammates. After a few moments of silence, the SEAL who had mistakenly engaged the Iraqi solider spoke up: “It was my fault. I should have positively identified my target.” “No,” I responded, “It wasn't your fault. Whose fault was it?” I asked the group again. “It was my fault,” said the radioman from the sniper element. “I should have passed our position sooner.” “Wrong,” I responded. “It wasn't your fault. Whose fault was it?” I asked again. “It was my fault,” said another SEAL, who was a combat advisor with the Iraqi Army clearance team. “I should have controlled the Iraqis and made sure they stayed in their sector.” “Negative,” I said. “You are not to blame.” More of my SEALs were ready to explain what they had done wrong and how it had contributed to the failure. But I had heard enough. “You know whose fault this is? You know who gets all the blame for this?” The entire group sat there in silence, including the CO, the CMC, and the investigating officer. No doubt they were wondering whom I would hold responsible. Finally, I took a deep breath and said, “There is only one person to blame for this: me. I am the commander. I am responsible for the entire operation. As the senior man, I am responsible for every action that takes place on the battlefield. There is no one to blame but me. And I will tell you this right now: I will make sure that nothing like this ever happens to us again.” - Jocko Willink

"In our culture we tend to equate thinking and intellectual powers with success and achievement. In many ways, however, it is an emotional quality that separates those who master a field from the many who simply work at a job. Our levels of desire, patience, persistence, and confidence end up playing a much larger role in success than sheer reasoning powers. Feeling motivated and energized, we can overcome almost anything. Feeling bored and restless, our minds shut off and we become increasingly passive." - Robert Greene

"We live in a world that seems increasingly beyond our control. Our livelihoods are at the whim of globalized forces. The problems that we face—economic, environmental, and so on—cannot be solved by our individual actions. Our politicians are distant and unresponsive to our desires. A natural response when people feel overwhelmed is to retreat into various forms of passivity. If we don't try too much in life, if we limit our circle of action, we can give ourselves the illusion of control. The less we attempt, the less chances of failure. If we can make it look like we are not really responsible for our fate, for what happens to us in life, then our apparent powerlessness is more palatable. For this reason we become attracted to certain narratives: it is genetics that determines much of what we do; we are just products of our times; the individual is just a myth; human behavior can be reduced to statistical trends." - Robert Greene

"The principle is simple and must be engraved deeply in your mind: the goal of an apprenticeship is not money, a good position, a title, or a diploma, but rather the transformation of your mind and character—the first transformation on the way to mastery." - Robert Greene

"The Apprenticeship Phase - The Three Steps or Modes. Step one: Deep observation - the passive mode. Step two: Skills acquisition - the practice mode. Step three: Experimentation - The active mode" - Robert Greene

"In the [appreticeship phase] you will transform yourself from someone who is impatient and scattered into someone who is disciplined and focused, with a mind that can handle complexity." - Robert Greene

"Some 2,600 years ago the ancient Greek poet Pindar wrote, “Become who you are by learning who you are.” What he meant is the following: You are born with a particular makeup and tendencies that mark you as a piece of fate. It is who you are to the core. Some people never become who they are; they stop trusting in themselves; they conform to the tastes of others, and they end up wearing a mask that hides their true nature. If you allow yourself to learn who you really are by paying attention to that voice and force within you, then you can become what you were fated to become—an individual, a Master." - Robert Greene

"Struggle is not optional—it's neurologically required: in order to get your skill circuit to fire optimally, you must by definition fire the circuit suboptimally; you must make mistakes and pay attention to those mistakes; you must slowly teach your circuit. You must also keep firing that circuit—i.e., practicing— in order to keep myelin functioning properly. After all, myelin is living tissue." - Daniel Coyle

"Other researchers, like Dr. Fields, uncovered the mechanism by which these myelin increases happened. As he described in a 2006 paper in the journal Neuron, supporter cells called oligodendrocytes and astrocytes sense the nerve firing and respond by wrapping more myelin on the fiber that fires. The more the nerve fires, the more myelin wraps around it. The more myelin wraps around it, the faster the signals travel, increasing velocities up to one hundred times over signals sent through an uninsulated fiber." - Daniel Coyle

"Useful Brain Science Insight Number 1: All actions are really the result of electrical impulses sent along chains of nerve fibers. Basically our brains are bundles of wires - 100 billion wires called neurons, connected to each other by synapses. Whenever you do something, your brain sends a signal through those chains of nerve fibers to your muscles. Each time you practice anything - sing a tune, swing a club, read this sentence - a different highly specific circuit lights up in your mind, sort of like a string of Christmas lights. Then there's Useful Brain Science Insight Number 2: The more we develop a skill circuit, the less we're aware that we're using it. We're built to make skills automatic, to stash them in our unconscious mind. This process, which is called automaticity, exists for powerful evolutionary reasons. (The more processing we can do in our unconscious minds, the better our chances of noticing that saber-toothed tiger lurking in the brush.) It also creates a powerfully convincing illusion: a skill, once gained, feels utterly natural, as if it's something we've always possessed. These two insights - skills as brain circuits and automaticity - create a paradoxical combination: We're forever building vast, intricate circuits, and we're simultaneously forgetting that we built them." - Daniel Coyle

"Q: Why is targeted, mistake-focused practice so effective? A: Because the best way to build a good circuit is to fire it, attend to mistakes, then fire it again, over and over. Struggle is not an option: it's a biological requirement. Q: Why are passion and persistence key ingredients of talent? A: Because wrapping myelin around a big circuit requires immense energy and time. If you don't love it, you'll never work hard enough to be great." - Daniel Coyle

"Deep practice is built on a paradox: struggling in certain targeted ways—operating at the edges of your ability, where you make mistakes—makes you smarter. Or to put it a slightly different way, experiences where you're forced to slow down, make errors, and correct them—as you would if you were walking up an ice-covered hill, slipping and stumbling as you go—end up making you swift and graceful without your realizing it." - Daniel Coyle

"The talent code is built on revolutionary scientific discoveries involving a neural insulator called myelin, which some neurologists now consider to be the holy grail of acquiring skill. Here's why. Every human skill, whether it's playing baseball or playing Bach, is created by chains of nerve fibers carrying a tiny electrical impulse—basically, a signal traveling through a circuit. Myelin's vital role is to wrap those nerve fibers the same way that rubber insulation wraps a copper wire, making the signal stronger and faster by preventing the electrical impulses from leaking out. When we fire our circuits in the right way—when we practice swinging that bat or playing that note—our myelin responds by wrapping layers of insulation around that neural circuit, each new layer adding a bit more skill and speed. The thicker the myelin gets, the better it insulates, and the faster and more accurate our movements and thoughts become. Myelin is important for several reasons. It's universal: everyone can grow it, most swiftly during childhood but also throughout life. It's indiscriminate: its growth enables all manner of skills, mental and physical. It's imperceptible: we can't see it or feel it, and we can sense its increase only by its magical-seeming effects. Most of all, however, myelin is important because it provides us with a vivid new model for understanding skill. Skill is a cellular insulation that wraps neural circuits and that grows in response to certain signals. The more time and energy you put into the right kind of practice—the longer you stay in the Clarissa zone, firing the right signals through your circuits—the more skill you get, or, to put it a slightly different way, the more myelin you earn." - Daniel Coyle

"Where in your life are you not taking 100 percent responsibility for the success or failure of your present condition? Write down three things you have done in the past that have messed things up. List three things you should have done but didn't. Write out three things that happened to you but you responded poorly. Write down three things you can start doing right now to take back responsibility for the outcomes of your life." - Darren Hardy