The Winning Formula for Outstanding Performance

Want your team to consistently perform at their best – without pressure, burnout, or micromanagement?

Oxygen8 Business Consultant Steven Naudé shares the psychology behind high-performing teams and how SME owners can apply simple, evidence-based strategies to increase motivation, engagement, and workplace output.

It Starts with the Right Goal

Goal-setting directly impacts motivation – but only if it’s done well. For goals to truly drive performance, they must be:

• Challenging but achievable
  
• Clear, measurable, and time-bound
  
• Personally meaningful to the individual or team
  
  

When goals align with your team’s purpose – not just the owner’s vision – commitment and follow-through improve dramatically.

Make Rewards Matter

Rewards work best when they feel earned, personal, and valued. Consider:

• Is the reward tied to effort, not just outcomes?
• Does the team value the reward?
• Is there clarity around how it’s earned?
• Does the reward build trust and morale, not just metrics?
  
  

Monetary incentives aren’t the only motivators. Recognition, trust, autonomy, or even an afternoon off can drive more engagement than a bonus alone.

Let Them Set Their Own Targets

When team members help define their own targets, their sense of ownership and accountability skyrockets.

• Collaborate on target setting
  
• Explain the “why” behind performance goals
  
• Align goals with what matters personally to them
  
  

Avoid imposing stretch targets without input – it can backfire. Instead, build a shared commitment to success.

Build Self-Efficacy: The ‘I Can Do It’ Factor

Self-efficacy – belief in one’s ability to succeed – is one of the strongest predictors of performance.

To build it:

• Celebrate early wins
  
• Remove unnecessary obstacles
  
• Provide coaching and support
  
• Focus on controllable actions
  
• Encourage belief: Say “I know you can do this” – and mean it.
  
  

Confidence fuels capability.

Client Story: Mastercraft Kitchens

“Steven helped us shift from vague targets to specific, team-led goals. Everyone became more focused – and more positive. The difference was real.”
– Mastercraft Kitchens