You Already Know How to Be Great: A Simple Way to Remove Interference and Unlock Your Greatest Potential

by Alan Fine, Rebecca R. Merrill

A bold new approach to performance by one of the top coaches in the country. In trying to improve-on the playing field, in the office, or even at home-most people seek out new information to get to the next level. They read a book, attend a class, or hire an expert to give them an edge. But Alan Fine, an accomplished tennis, golf, and executive coach and a renowned authority on peak performance, believes that this "outside-in" method is precisely what's holding you back from doing your best work. He's found the biggest obstacle to improved performance isn't not knowing what to do; it's not doing what you already know. Ironically, the quest for information and instructions designed to help you get ahead can often interfere with your ability to focus on doing something. Fine reveals his simple and proven approach to achieving breakthrough performance. It starts with reducing the interference that blocks your potential through an amazing process called G.R.O.W. (Goal, Reality, Options, Way Forward). No matter who you are or what you do, You Already Know How to Be Great will help you eliminate what is standing in the way of your goals.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Leadership, Self Help, Personal Development, Psychology, Professional Development

256 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 14, 2010

About the author

Alan Fine is founder and president of InsideOut Development, an innovative and fast-growing professional services firm specializing in corporate training, executive coaching, and organizational consulting services. In addition to being a popular trainer and speaker, Alan has spent the last 25
years as a mental performance/focus coach to top professional tennis players and golfers, musicians, and corporate executives.

Twenty-five years ago, Alan helped develop the GROW Model, a basic performance model considered by many to be the gold-standard approach among executive coaches and corporate leaders worldwide. Alan’s approach to performance breakthroughs comes most often, not from acquiring additional knowledge, but from removing internal interference that allows people to act on what they already know. Good decisions lead to effective actions leading to productive results. In addition to his work consulting with Fortune 500 leaders, Alan is also very much in demand as a speaker and thought leader, where he incorporates an engaging mix of humor and commentary drawn from the performance-driven world of the professional athlete.

Reviews

[Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as part of the 12 Books, book group. Its rare that you get the opportunity to read a book with the author as your reading partner so I jumped right in. I wasn't disappointed.

How many times have we reflected on the gap between knowledge and execution? The idea that applying a few simple techniques would allow me to remove the "interference" that prevented me from performing was addicting.

Alan's model of Faith, Fire, and Focus as part of GROW creates an easy to remember and easy to apply system for overcoming obstacles in life and in the lives of those around us.

The book moves from the personal leadership model to coaching individuals and teams. No matter what life arena you would like to improve, "You Already Know How To Be Great" will give you clarity to move forward.

Its already working for me.

[Jael · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You Already Know How to Be Great," that sounds like such a simple statement. If I already know what to do, why haven't I done it already? Why am I not living the life I dreamed of, or at least close to it? I'm sure there are several reasons, which is why I decided to read You Already Know How to Be Great by Alan Fine (with Rebecca R. Merrill).

My thinking going in, was that self-help books were for people going through a mid-life crisis, the over-40 set. I'm not a total convert to self-help books, but I know some of the things in this book could definitely help me.

The overall concept is rather simple, improvement upon yourself or your situation doesn't come from gaining new knowledge, but rather from within. But what's within is often blocked, or as Fine calls it -- interference. Something or even someone is blocking you from being better than what you are. If you have no faith in your own abilities, how can you be better. Or as some of the examples set forth in the book, what if someone is holding you back. If a coach is simply coaching an athlete to win, rather than improving their performance or setting goals, that athlete is going to have a hard time getting better.

What must one possess to remove the interference? Faith in yourself and others, something that is very hard to find in my own life. I often don't have faith in myself, so I automatically think I can't do something. I just stop trying, because what is the point? Second, you need to have Fire, the passion and commitment to do something. I'm passionate about my blogging, everywhere else needs some work. And lastly, you need to Focus, keep the commitment and pay attention to it. I'm easily distracted, again something I need to work on.

How do you get to have that Faith, Fire, and Focus? According to Fine, you have to GROW. Again that sounds simple enough. But how you get there isn't always easy. You have to set a Goal, be Realistic with that goal, have Options on obtaining that goal, and have a Way to move forward with that goal. Also in order to move forward, you have to take ownership of that interference using an inside-out approach, essentially you can't blame someone else for what is going wrong.

You have to plan out your course of action and really listen before moving forward, which makes a lot of sense. But some of the examples set forth in this book seem very realistic and some don't. One example is how to deal with a difficult employee with sub-par performance reviews. The conversation between the two didn't sit well with me. The superior is trying to get at the source of the problem, while the employee continues to be belligerent. How many employers would put up with that? Would they really still speak calmly or would they start to get angry themselves? On the other hand, Fine's own personal experiences rang true with me. His business partner was not holding his own, and Fine was reluctant to have a conversation with him. But the conversation was necessary. How does he get his point across without coming off as judgmental? Most importantly, Fine listened and the two of them worked together to move forward.

The book does focus a lot on coaching others, but I like that Fine stresses at the beginning to use the book however you want. My goal right now is to find a new job. But I admit, I haven't set a goal or really focused on what I want to achieve. What's blocking me right now is my own fear, the fear of failure. I have some ideas, and once I let go of that fear, I think I will be alright.



Rating: If you need an emotional lift, definitely read this book because it can help. Normally I go by a certain scale when I rate a book, but this is one of those times when I have to go off grid. I don't view this as reading for entertainment, so I felt the need to go in a different direction.



Notes: I received a copy of this book from the author's publicist in exchange for an honest review. For more information on Alan Fine visit: http://www.alan-fine.com/

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found You Already Know How to Be Great a pretty easy read considering it is non-fiction and often seemed aimed at people in the business world. It is written in a very conversational tone and Mr. Fine uses a lot of examples to illustrate his points. I found these examples very helpful to understanding the concepts he was discussing.

Chapters are split into shorter sections and there are many text boxes along the way with great information to back up what Mr. Fine is saying. He also gives reflective questions at the end of each chapter which can be used to think through the ideas on a personal level.

I have already used his G.R.O.W. process to think through an issue that was overwhelming me and I have been able to break it down to a more manageable level. Although I have not solved it completely, I am seeing measurable progress which is more than I had before reading this book.

The only thing that I did not like about this book, and I think it was mainly because I was not expecting it, is the focus on coaching others. Based on the title and description, I thought this would be a book on finding a way to reach my own personal goals. While that is certainly one component of this book, it felt like there was a greater focus on helping other people to reach their potential by guiding them through this process.

This review is based on a paperback Advance Uncorrected Proof copy, sent to me for review by InsideOut Development. All opinions stated here are entirely my own.

[Karen & Gerard · Rating 4 out of 5]

You Already Know How To Be Great by Alan Fine is a model for performing at your full capacity and helping others do the same.  The author, Alan Fine, has served as a performance coach to corporate executives, top athletes and musicians.  He shares his very practical method for improving performance by increasing one's faith that they can do something, one's fire (desire) and one's focus by decreasing the interference (obstacle) that is hurting the performance.  Sometimes we know what we want to do and even how to do it but we are lacking in at least one of those areas; thus, not performing to our full capacity.  You Already Know How To Be Great has questions at the end of each chapter to help you apply the principles plus even a cute picture of an on-line community reminder.

I really liked the examples he gave to illustrate how his model can be used in parenting, teaching, sports.   Alan Fine gives the reader dialogue of specific training sessions.  I felt like a little mouse getting to listen in.  In this book you can learn the G.R.O.W. method to use in reaching decisions quickly and making meetings meaningful.

I recommend You Already Know How to Be Great as a reference book to anyone who wants to improve their performance in any area of their life or who is in a leadership position and seeks to help others improve performance. 

[Julie Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm normally not too big on self-help books; my experience has been that they're not much help to ME, but I'm certain that they're a help to the writer's pocketbook! :)

BUT, this book is an exception, as the author clearly states that everything he is telling us is something we already know, but he can help us put it into action.

Initially, as I read the Foreword, I was immediately turned off by the corporate buzzphrase "paradigm shift" being used. I don't like buzzwords and phrases; they make my brain go into that "Oh, no, please, not THAT word again!" mode and my eyes glaze over. Then I saw that the foreword wasn't written by the author, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Not that there AREN'T any buzzwords in the book; but they are not overused and meaningless, so they didn't take away from my focus on what I was reading.

This book is about trying to improve your own performance as well as those you are trying to help, whether it's your daughter who won't clean her room or your employees not taking your guidance to heart. I liked this phrase near the beginning: "Most of the time, lack of knowledge isn't the problem", as it is really is true. We all KNOW what to do most of the time; it's something else that's keeping us from doing it.

The author describes this something else as interFEARance - whether it's fear of failing, fear of not doing it right, fear of what other people will think of us, and he aptly illustrates how to get rid of this outside interference and have the "Faith" (knowledge that we CAN do it), "Fire" (passion for getting it done), and "Focus" (not allowing the past to interfere by focusing on this present moment) to allow us to handle almost any situation. It could be learning a new skill; perfecting a skill you already have, public speaking, focusing your own words to that messy teenage daughter so that the chore you're asking her to do breaks down and becomes more attainable, or any of the myriad situations we run into every day.

There are reflective questions at the end of each chapter, sidebar quotes and inserted instances that help in reinforcing the main topic (although, and maybe you can color me slow, there was one - "The Flow Experience" - that left me scratching my head), and real-world examples in both the author's experience and others that illustrate how this principle can easily put to use in everyday situations. It's not preachy; it's not "I'm the King of the World and I know everything, so you should listen to me if you want to be a success" - it's none of the things that normally make me turn off on self-help books.

I think this one is going on my keeper shelf; because as I read, I could recall some recent situations where this advice would have aided greatly in changing my own course for the better.

QUOTES:

My invitation to you is to simply play with the ideas in these pages and use what's helpful to you. As you will discover, this book is less about gaining new knowledge and more about getting rid of what's keeping you from using the knowledge you already have.

More broadly, as managers, leaders, coaches, or parents, we're incredulous to think (or more likely, it never even occurs to us to think) that without our excessive instructing, regulating, controlling, directing, and intervening, people might actually be able to perform with greater confidence, more enthusiasm, and more effective focus.

It stands to reason that if we can chunk down the challenge into tasks that feel doable and then create a singular Focus on one or more critical variables of the task, we're far more likely to create the flow state that creates high performance.

Book Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars

(I received a copy of this book from Inside Out Development to facilitate my review)

[Divya · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book to have in your book shelf!

Alan Fine takes us through examples and proves how interference stands in the way of unleashing your full potential! GROW is a tool or a framework he gives us to look at problems or situations and come up with options and way forward. Highly applicable to coach others and ourselves also.
Great read in all!

[Mok · Rating 4 out of 5]

1️⃣3️⃣ بالفعل ، أنت تدرك طريق العظمة !

كلنا نريد بلوغ قمة الأداء، والعمل في فرق متعاونة، وتربية أطفال يشعرون بالمسؤولية. كما نريد أن نتمتع بالصحة والطاقة. ولكن حتى عندما نعرف ما نريده تمامًا، نجد أننا لا نملك الأدوات التي تجعلنا نحقق النتائج المبتغاة! وهذا ما سنحاول أن نُحدِثه هنا: التحول في الرؤية والتغيُّر في المنظور؛ حتى تعايش وتستشعر داخليًا تلك المبادئ والعمليات التي تمكنك من تحقيق أعلى مستويات الأداء.

معضلة النظرية أمام التطبيق :-
وقف مدرب تنس في الملعب في أحد الأيام كان يدرب إحدى اللاعبات، وهي فتاة خجول في التاسعة من العمر، كان يظن هو ووالدة اللاعبة أن شخصيتها غير منضبطة كانت تعل��ماته في غاية البساطة، ولكن بلا فائدة، فلم تستطع أن تواصل ضرب الكرة أكثر من خمس مرات متتالية. وعندما شعر بالإحباط من فشلها المتكرر، قرر تغيير طريقته في تدريبها .. قال المدرب للفتاة الصغيرة بأن عليها أن تنسى التعليمات التي قدمها لها في الأسابيع الماضية، وأن تكتفي بأن تقول لنفسها ”اقفزي“ عندما تلمس الكرة الأرض و“اضربي“ عندما تصطدم الكرة بالمضرب، لقد مررَّت ثلاثًا وخمسين ضربة على التوالي فوق الشبكة،حينئذ شعرت الفتاة بسعادة غامرة، وصدمت الأم من المفاجأة، وشعر المدرب بالاستغراب والإحباط في نفس الوقت ..أدرك المدرب أن أداء اللاعبة لم يكن ضعيفًا لأنها لم تكن تعرف ماذا تفعل، ولكن لأن هناك تداخلات ومشتتات كثيرة كانت تمنعها من تطبيق ما تتعلمه! لقد اكتشف في ذلك اليوم أن هناك نموذجًا بسيطًا يمكن أن يحقق تحسنًا كبيرًا في الأداء في أي مجال من مجالات الحياة. كل الناس يظنون أن أفضل طريقة لتحسين الأداء هي زيادة المعرفة؛ وهو أسلوب يمكن أن نسميه ”التعلم من الخارج إلى الداخل“ ومن الواضح أن هذا هو النهج الأكثر شيوعًا في تحسين الأداء الفردي والمؤسسي، ولكن لو كانت المعرفة هي حقًا ما نحتاجه لبلوغ أعلى مستويات الأداء، فإن من يقرؤون الكتب والمجلات ويحملون أعلى الشهادات سينجزون أكثر من غيرهم. هل زيادة معارفنا يمكن أن تجعلنا آباء ومعلمين وموظفين أفضل؟ من الواضح أن هذه خرافة، لأن أكبر عقبة أمام تحسين الأداء ليست الجهل وعدم المعرفة، بل الفشل في تطبيق ما نتعلمه كل يوم!


التعلم من الداخل للخارج :-
هناك طريقة مختلفة لتحسين الأداء وهي ”التعلم من الداخل إلى الخارج“. تقوم هذه الطريقة على تقليل إضافة معارف جديدة وتقليل التدخلات والتداخلات التي تحول بين المرء وبين تطبيق وتجربة المعرفة التي اكتسبها بالفعل .. ارفع يدك عاليًا أمام أي شخص واطلب منه أن يركز النظر على كف يدك. ثم اطلب منه أن يفكر في شخص آخر كان معه بالأمس، ويصف الملابس التي كان يرتديها. على الأرجح ستتحرك عينا الشخص صعودًا ونزولاً في أثناء محاولته التذكر. فعندما نحاول استدعاء معلومة لا نعود نركز على الحاضر. نفس الشيء يحدث في ملعب التنس عندما يحاول اللاعب أن يتذكر التعليمات التي تلقاها. نفس هذه الظاهرة تتكرر في المؤسسات عندما يذهب المديرون إلى تطبيق السياسات والإجراءات التي تفصلهم عن النتائج؛ فيشتتون الموظفين ويحولون انتباههم بعيدًا عن التعلم والإبداع، وهو ما يضيع عليهم فرصًا هائلة.

فجوات الأداء :-
هناك ثلاث فجوات خطيرة توجد في كل جوانب حياتنا تقريبًا، وتفرز أداءً متواضعًا وضعيفًا :
1- فجوة الوعي:
بعض الناس لا يستطيعون اتباع التعليمات، فهناك فجوة بين ما يعتقدون أنهم يفعلونه وبين ما ينفذونه بالفعل.
2- فجوة الضغوط:
عند التعرض للضغوط النفسية، يشعر بعض الناس بقلة الحيلة والعجز عن القيام بما تدربوا عليه. فهناك فجوة بين أدائهم في الظروف العادية وبين أدائهم في ظل الضغوط.
3- فجوة الخبرة:
بعض الناس يعتقدون أنك لكي تدرب شخصًا ما، يجب أن تكون أكثر خبرة منه. فإن تعودت على تدريب مستوى معين، فلن تستطيع تدريب مستوى أعقد أو أعلى منه.

الإيمان :-
الإيمان يحرك السلوك. فإذا كنا نؤمن بأننا أذكياء أو أغبياء، محبوبون أو غير محبوبين، مسؤولون عن حياتنا أو ضحايا دون اختيار، فتلك المعتقدات هي التي تقرر ما نقوم به. إذا كنت تقدم عرضًا وآمنت حقًا بأنك أعددت له جيدًا وتستطيع نقل أفكارك وآرائك بشكل فعال، فستشعر بالراحة والحماس والثقة من خلال العرض الذي تقدمه. وإذا كنت تعتقد أنك لست مستعدًا أو كنت قلقًا من قدرتك على التعبير عن نفسك، فسيظهر عليك التوتر ويكبلك الخوف أمام الجمهور، فتقل فرصك في التواصل والإقناع. الإيمان الذي يحسن الأداء هو إيمانك بقدرتك على التعلم.

الحماس :-
الحماس هو الشعور بالنشاط والتحفز. وهو يتحول إلى التزام بما نفعله، فهو ليس حكرًا على الفائزين بالمركز الأول والحاصلين على جائزة ”نوبل“. الحماس دافع يتسبب في إفراز الأدرينالين ليتجاوز الناس قدراتهم العادية، ويتغلبوا على التحديات، ويحطموا الأرقام القياسية، ويحققوا المستحيل.

التركيز :-
التركيز توجيه الاهتمام نحو غاية ما، وهو ما يمكننا من توجيه انتباهنا إلى المهمة التي ننفذها دون أن يشتتنا شيء آخر. التركيز الكامل يؤدي إلى حشد النشاط والطاقة والقدرة على إنجاز المهمات بطرق مبتكرة. وهو ليس فقط عنصرًا حاسمًا في تحسين
الأداء، بل هو عنصر حاسم وضروري في عملية الممارسة، وكما يقول مدرب كرة القدم الأمريكي ”فينس لومباردي“: ”الممارسة لا تؤدي إلى الكمال؛ الممارسة الكاملة فقط تؤدي إلى الكمال“. عندما توجه القدر المناسب من التركيز إلى عمل ما، فسوف تختصر الوقت اللازم لبناء عادات تحتاجها لبلوغ قمة الأداء.

التدخل :-
تؤثر التدخلات على إيماننا وحماسنا وقوة تركيزنا، وبالتالي على أدائنا. بعض هذه التدخلات يأتي من قوة خارجية تقع في معظمها خارج سيطرتنا المباشرة. في العمل، قد يكون بسبب ركود الاقتصاد، أو التكنولوجيا الجديدة، أو المنافسة الشرسة. في البيت، قد يكون بسبب مشكلات مادية، أو الإعلام، أو طلبات الأسرة. ومع ذلك فإن التدخلات التي تؤثر على أدائنا تنبع من داخلنا بسبب ردود أفعالنا تجاه التدخلات الخارجية. ينعكس ذلك في القصص التي نحكيها، وفي طرق معالجتنا للمواقف، وفي شعورنا بالقلق من الماضي أو المستقبل أو التفكير فيما يجب – أو كان يجب – أن نفعله بدلاً من التركيز على اللحظة الراهنة. هذه المشكلة معقدة لأن عقولنا تميل إلى المبالغة فيما نخشاه مما يؤثر سلبًا على أدائنا.

توجيه الإنتباه :-
يتحسن أداؤنا عندما يكون هناك توازن بين تصورنا للتحدي الذي نواجهه وتصورنا للمهارة التي نمتلكها لمواجهة هذا التحدي. بعبارة أخرى، نحن بحاجة إلى تحدٍّ يشعل حماسنا، بشرط ألا يكون صعبًا إلى الدرجة التي تثقل كاهلنا أو تفت من عضدنا. يحدث هذا عندما نصل إلى درجة تركيز عالية، وننغمس تمامًا في العمل الذي نتحمس له. في هذه الحالة تزيد سرعة ووتيرة أدائنا ونتعلم بطريقة أسرع، وأيًّا كان ما نفعله فإننا لا نشعر بأننا نبذل مجهودًا كبيرًا لأننا نستمتع بما نفعل. فضلاً عن الارتفاع بالأداء الفردي، فإن توجيه التركيز والانتباه يرفع أداء فرق العمل وبالتالي أداء المؤسسات.

كيف نركز ؟
السرعة والدقة عاملان مهمان لتحقيق النتائج المنشودة. عندما نتخذ قرارات سريعة وغير دقيقة، نحصل على المزيد من الأخطاء. وعندما نتخذ قرارات دقيقة وغير سريعة، نهدر الوقت والفرص.
- السؤال هو: كيف نحقق درجة التركيز التي تزيد من سرعة اتخاذ القرار وتؤدي إلى نتائج باهرة؟
يمكننا تحقيق ذلك من خلال عملية ”النمو“ التي تتم على أربع مراحل :
١- تحديد الهدف (ما نريد أن نفعله).
٢- دراسة الواقع (الظروف التي نتعامل معها).
٣- وضع الخيارات (للانتقال الى الهدف المنشود).
٤- الطريق إلى الأمام (الإجراءات والقرارات).

كيف يتحمل الموظف مسؤولية أدائه ؟
لا يمكنك أن تجبر شخصًا على السير في طريق النمو ومراحله الأربع، لأنها تتطلب وعيًا منه بمشكلته واستعدادًا منه لحلها لذلك يجب أن تنطلق شرارة المبادرة منك، فتحاول انتشال زميلك أو رئيسك أو مرؤوسك بكل مواهبه ومهاراته من موقفه الحالي إلى موقف آخر يناسب إمكاناته ريثما يصل الشخص إلى نقطة الوعي..

عندما يكون ذلك الشخص مستعدًا لكنه لا يدرك أبعاد مشكلته، فلن تكون المناقشة صعبة وستجد كل الترحيب والقبول .. ولكن عندما لا يرغب ذلك الشخص في التعامل مع مشكلته (سواء أكان يدركها أم لا)، فإن الوضع يختلف. مهمة المدرب والمعلم في هذه الحالة هي الحصول على امتثال الموظف (في أسوأ الأحوال) أو الالتزام (في أحسن الأحوال) لحل مشكلة الأداء.

كيف تصنع ثقافة أداء متميز ؟
كلنا نحب أن نعمل مع الذين يقولون ما يفعلون، ويفعلون ما يقولون، ويتواصلون ويأخذون ويعطون. هذا هو شريان حياة المؤسسات والمفتاح لسرعة اتخاذ القرارات. عندما يقول الناس ما يفعلون ويتواصلون، تنتشر ثقافة التمكين والثقة والمشاركة والمساءلة. وعندما لا يتمكنون، فإن عناصر الأداء المرتفع تقل أو تختفي.
ما الذي يمنعنا من الفعل والتواصل؟ مرة أخرى: إنها التدخلات. الناس يخافون أن يقولوا ما سيفعلون لأنهم يخشون من عدم قدرتهم على التنفيذ. يخشون تشتت الانتباه والخروج عن المسار، أو ظهور عائق يمنعهم من تحقيق ما عقدوا عليه العزم. يخشون ما قد يحدث إذا خيبوا توقعات رؤسائهم، ويخافون من تراكم العمل الإضافي المطلوب للوفاء بوعودهم. فهم يترددون في تقديم التزامات يعرفون أنهم لا يستطيعون أو لا يريدون تنفيذها لمجرد إرضاء الآخرين، وقد يزيفون الحقائق أو يكذبون لتجنب أو تأجيل المواجهة أو خيبة الأمل.

[iamjenai · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book got some good advice on how to discover the skills you already have and when you discover what you have, the book tells you how to improve your performance. YOU Already Know How To Be GREAT is a great book to read, it provides an easy to follow guide of how to achieve success in work place, in school and even in real life.

When my husband, working in a university as Guidance Counselor, saw me reading this, he was instantly interested in reading the book too. We both read the content of the book and enjoyed discussing them. The author used a lot of examples and provided explanations too. We both liked the principles pointed in this book and definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to improve performance in any area of life.

[Kirk Hanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Instead of being a complete rehash of other goalsetting methods, Alan Fine's book is based on his own experience coaching, both in sports and business. The basic premise is that what keeps us from performing well is not lack of knowledge, but interference with being fully present, caused by overthinking. He goes on to talk about the three Fs that help us perform at our best and the GROW model for goal-setting. Sure, it probably has a few too many cute acronyms, but I found them pretty useful. And a big part of the book covers coaching others, which doesn't really apply to me, but the rest of the book has enough real value that I feel I can recommend it to anyone looking to improve their performance in work and life.

[James Bridgewater · Rating 4 out of 5]

The gist of the book is that most of the time suboptimal performance is not due to insufficient knowledge, but to a failure to execute on what we know we should do. Easy examples are eating healthy and exercising, but this happens in business too. We frequently avoid the unpleasant conversations that have to be had for an organization to achieve high performance. The author presents, and repeats numerous times, a framework for getting people to focus on their goal, describe their current reality, enumerate options, and choose a way forward.

[Bonnie Ho · Rating 4 out of 5]

A training at my work is based on this book and I found the approach for coaching so instructive for communicating and having tough conversations: instead of telling people what to do, how great it is if you can help somebody to construct their own options and steps to take. The author's many examples are helpful. I especially liked his model Goal, Reality, Options, Way Forward (GROW) and have been talking about it with friends as a framework to tackle various types of problems. I think this is a really great tool that I would recommend to use going forward.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admit that I got bogged down during the "coaching others" chapters, but there were quite a few passages in this book I felt were written for me. A nice reminder that I often let my emotions get in the way of choices I should be making and tasks I should be doing (whether dating, in theater, working, etc). I even copied a couple of the diagrams to refer to later. A great read if you need a boost of confidence and a little validation!

[Da277 · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a certified Inside/Our GROW coach I struggle with facilitating the Coaching for engagement section. I brought this book on vacation figuring I could get some ideas. This book was very helpful and I came away with many different examples I can use when facilitating his session. And I had to laugh because the rock climbing example pretty much happened on my first try at rock climbing and I am so going to use that in my trainings going forward

[Rahma Mohsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

how to be a great ... great book

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this for a LinkedIn book club January 2025

Feelings... I liked it. I like Alan's style and I like his process. He's not too sales-pitchy and he really tries to teach you something here.

What I got out of it...

There are three types of performance gaps
1. awareness - gap between what you're actually doing and what you thought you were doing
2. pressure - gap between how you perform in practice and how you perform under pressure (showtime)
3. expertise - believing that the teacher needs to know more about something than the student

Everyone has Faith, Fire and Focus inside them, it is the coach's job to bring that out, like carving a statue from marble.
Faith = beliefs about ourselves and others
Fire = energy, passion, motivation, and commitment
Focus = what we pay attention to and how we pay attention
Succeed by removing limiting beliefs, increasing positive energy and focusing on the right things
Believe in our innate ability to learn and do; energy and excitement about doing it; attention to critical variables that drive performance

If you have Faith + Fire, but no Focus - believe in themselves, energy and commitment, but inconsistent performance
If you have Fait + Focus, but no Fire = confident and on task but don't care and commit to what they're doing (most people at work)
If you have Fire + Focus, but no Faith = passionate about what they're doing and stay on task, but are insecure and doubt themselves

Job as coach is to remove the interference through focused attention, make a safe space to learn. Alan recommends his trademarked "GROW" method.
G goal - what do we what to do (specifically in this coaching session, SMART)
R reality = circumstances we are dealing with
O options = how might we move from reality to goal... fantasyland to get all the options
W way forward = action we take (strategy + tactics, SMART)

"It's not about looking at people in terms of what's wrong... It's about looking at them in terms of what's inside that we can help get out."

Questions to ask ourselves before a GROW conversation:
1. Who is this about, them or me?
2. When I speak, whose need is getting met, theirs or mine?
3. Am I reducing interference or increasing it?

Saying your committed but showing with actions no follow through... are they willing to pay the price for the goal they defined?
When you struggle to see someone's potential, picture them as an infant exploring and learning, remind yourself everyone can learn. Instead of making a judgement and looking for validation of it, observe reality.
If you find you're stuck in Reality, it's often because they don't feel understood. Repeat back what you heard to confirm... if they still stay there call them out politely.

[Mark Sturgell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book when I started my certification process to teach the GROW coaching model with author Alan Fine’s company, InsideOut Development. I really wasn’t interested in reading it; I’ve read so many books about coaching as it’s been my career for decades, but felt compelled to read it due to the certification. We are using the GROW model for coaching to further instill coaching in our system leadership culture.

So I began reading and was compelled again to keep reading by Fine’s obvious, intimate understanding of the power and potential outcomes of coaching others when done well. I would now place this book at the top of my list of reading recommendations for both those who practice coaching as a profession and manager who recognize their need to become better coaches.

The GROW model with Fine’s addition of “Faith, Fire and Focus” along with his understanding of the interference (“interFEARence” many times) and how coaching helps people identify, articulate, and overcome the obstacle to their improved performance and higher potential.

Then, I came across this golden nugget — one of the most insightful and simple statements about coaching I have read anywhere or heard from anyone — convinced me to highly recommend this book who wants more out of coaching relationships, whether you are the performer or the coach.

“Above all, in #coaching, if you don’t believe in the power of the learner inside the performer —that curious, confident, wonderfully exploratory, childlike individual that’s just waiting to be released — it will be all too easy to keep on judging (good/bad/right/wrong), to keep trying to change people instead of making it safe for them to explore what they are and what they can do.” — Alan Fine, “You Already Know How to Be Great”, chapter 6 ‘Coaching for Engagement’, p. 136, (Penguin, 2010, 17th printing)

[J Crossley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anyone can read a book. The key is putting the knowledge into action. Often we need to remove the obstacle in order to perform better. We need to remove interference in order to perform better.

I really liked the following quote. “The biggest obstacle in performance isn’t not knowing what to do; it’s not doing what we know.” This struck a chord in me. It seems that often I know how to do something better, it is just things (interference) gets in my way. The issue is that when we are trying to perform, we try to remember too many tips, and if we just perform, we automatically draw on what we have learned.

The authors state that the essential to success are three vial elements. I see them as the Three F’s. Faith (what you trust you can do); Fire (your motivation/passion); Focus (your concentration). Another topic to help improve is the acronym GROW: goal, reality, options, way forward. It is important to follow those steps in order. These steps can greatly improve your process.

[Lindsay Bragg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read it for work. There are a lot of great concepts presented in here and I love the section at the end illustrating all the ways to use it in your work and personal life. Three are a lot of leadership gems in here and I've seen the benefits of this mindset in my workplace.

Stick to the e-book, though. Unfortunately, the print quality (and some of the imagery) cheapen the message.

[Nedy Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really helped me work through some mental blocks that were keeping me from doing things in my life that are scary and challenging but ultimately very rewarding, like starting my own business.

However, he does use the words "faith," "fire" and "focus" so many times that they lost all meaning. Maybe some time away from the book and the meaning will return to me.

[Samvel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the concepts described but really do not understand why we need so much coaching in the book to explain these. Do we, readers, really need to go through all these success stories or how managers can navigate the discussions? I don’t mind paid coaching courses online or in person for those willing to take these, but put all that into a book like this feels foreign to me.

[Abby Epplett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a combination of sports coaching and business coaching, attempting to blend two worlds that really don't blend as well as the author wants the reader to believe. I have read books with similar aspirations and found this one to be about the same.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I already know how to be great, Why did I read this? Nothing against this, But it didn't click with me very much.

[Matt Forest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fine's thoughtful approach to coaching will help you bring out the potential in yourself and others.

[Josue Guerra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read.

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read about half of this book. The concepts were interesting and I will definitely come back to it in the future. Some of it was really based around building business which isn’t what I’m looking for at the moment. I loved the concept of interference and the examples from tennis coaching. I love how he said to stop talking and interrupting the process. As a school teacher, I keep this in mind when teaching new concepts now.

[Tom Quinn · Rating 2 out of 5]

FROM THE INTRODUCTION
[This book] is about how to improve performance in your own life and also in the lives of those you are trying to help. It's based on the premise that

EVERYONE has the potential to perform better;
potential is blocked by interference;
interference can be reduced by focused attention; and
focused attention can be simply and systematically increased.
(pg. xiv)



Typically, this is the kind of book I avoid. A little "rah rah, you can do it" advice from somebody who's already made it often feels condescending, preachy, and insincere. And it does share a lot with the common "business self-help" books: bulleted lists, simple slogans and formulas, plenty of industry buzzwords, and a strange propensity for bolding key ideas. Pepper in a bunch of quotes from famous people and a few graphic inserts and you've got another professional development guide indistinguishable from all the rest already on the shelf. But reading a "personal development" book was half-recommended, half-required at my workplace so I looked through our "skills development library" and picked the one that seemed least cliched and most relevant. My mistake. At least this one's strategy lends itself not only to the professional world but also to the personal realm, hobbies, and most of everyday life.

Alan Fine's program is basically just saying "get out of your own way and do what you know". The old adage about missing 100% of the shots you don't take comes to mind, then he rehashes a lot of the now-common strategies and acronyms other professional gurus have brought forth (Set S.M.A.R.T. goals! Take an outside-in approach to problem solving!). Perhaps if this were the first book of this kind I would have been more impressed.

2 stars out of 5.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not normally one to read self – help books but You Already Know how to be Great looked really good so I thought I’d read it.
I found You Already Know How to be Great to be quite helpful and it had something for everyone. Being a student I wasn’t sure if I would get much out of it but I did, I now have some tactics to put into practice when I get into stressful situations regarding study next year.
There were so many great quotes from famous people that were only tiny but each one held a certain meaning and they were just really insightful. They made a nice addition to an already good book.
The diagrams were very interesting and I actually found them to be really eye catching so I found myself reading through the book faster to read all the little grey boxes and interesting diagrams.
Overall, I think that if there was one self-help book that anyone wanted to read in their life then this one would be quite useful. It isn’t just made for one type of person it’s for several different types of people. You Already Know How to be Great is definitely a book I’ll be hanging on to, to read in the future when my life situations change.

[Henry Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has become an outstanding practical guide to help me implement the GROW model for both performance and engagement.

At the Sales Performance Practice at FranklinCovey we have chosen to use the GROW model as the basis for helping the sales leaders of our clients learn how to effectively coach. I have taken the actual InsideOut Development coarse on Coaching, I have been certified to teach the coaching course, and I have delivered the course to many sales leaders throughout the world. It was after all of these steps that I finally read the book. Surprisingly the book has become a very helpful tool in both remembering key content and remembering practical ways of applying the GROW model.

The book has also become a great trouble shooting tool in solving common problems and reminding me how to solve for them. So whether you are using the GROW model as a coach, manager, leader, or you are are looking to effectively help others, this book is a must have for consistent implementation and success.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a contest at Reviews from the Heart. It wasn't what I was expecting at all. After reading the book, I feel like it was almost more about how you can help other people be great as opposed to how you yourself can be great. The first chapter seemed to be going in the direction of the latter but then the rest of the book was all about coaching other people in the workplace, at home as a parent, or in other situations that did not apply to me. Perhaps if I ever have a child, I will want to bring this book back off the book shelf. I get how one could apply the book's message to oneself, I just wish there was more in this book about that, seeing as the title of the book suggests that that's what this book is about.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is geared toward managers/"coaches" in a professional setting who want to improve their own job performance and teamwork and leadership skills. Most of the book focuses on his GROW method for quick but thorough decision-making, and he does a good job of presenting it clearly. Going in, I had expected something more along the lines of personal development rather than professional, so this was not on-target for me, though I can see how his decision-making model can be used in personal situations as well. Fine presents lots of great strategies for effective managing, I just wish they were more useful to me right now.