In companies, employee performance is usually managed through goals, KPIs, processes, and reporting. Skills training, methodologies, and manuals are added.
On paper, it makes sense.
In practice, however, it repeatedly shows that what really matters lies elsewhere.
The difference between an average and consistently high-performing person often does not lie in what they know, but in the
mindset with which they approach it. In other words: in what they believe and what they expect from the situation.
It may sound obvious. In reality, this dimension is systematically overlooked.
Mindset (and our brain’s decision-making system) as the invisible performance control system
Before a person even starts to act, their brain evaluates a basic question:
Is it worth investing energy in this? (For a detailed explanation of how automatically this happens, see the excellent book “Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman)
This decision happens automatically and mostly outside conscious control. If the brain evaluates the situation as meaningful and manageable, systems that support performance are activated. If not, performance begins to slow down even before the action starts.
This decision happens automatically and mostly outside conscious control. If the brain evaluates the situation as meaningful and manageable, systems that support performance are activated. If not, performance begins to slow down even before the action starts.
This is where most people make a mistake: they associate expectations with motivation or mood. In reality, it is a deeper mechanism that affects attention, learning, and stress resilience.
When a person’s mindset is that their effort matters, the brain:
- maintains attention better,
- learns new things faster,
- manages pressure and uncertainty more easily.
If the mindset is missing or negative:
- performance is dampened,
- procrastination increases,
- inner resistance appears,
- learned techniques remain “on paper.”
Why the same training works for one person – and not for another
Companies experience this repeatedly.
For simplicity, two people (or actually groups of people) go through the same training, receive the same tools, and have the same goals. Yet one begins using the new approaches, and the other returns to old habits.
The difference is rarely in intelligence or skills. What is often overlooked is the difference in expectations – more precisely, in mindset (Note: expectations and mindset are distinct concepts, which we will explore in a future article).
One believes that change is possible and meaningful. The other subconsciously assumes “it won’t work anyway.” The brain responds accordingly. Not consciously, but consistently.
At that point, the quality of the training no longer determines the outcome, but the internal mindset with which the person receives new skills.
In other words:
Mindset determines whether change is applied at all
Traditional training alone does not change behavior; deeper/professional techniques are needed (e.g., Neurodynamic Training)
Mini-case: why a salesperson “freezes” at the start of a call
The salesperson has a prepared script, knows the product, and handles objections. Yet the call often stalls right at the start.
On the surface, it looks like a lack of skills. In reality, the problem occurs earlier.
If the salesperson subconsciously expects rejection, the brain interprets the situation as a threat. A stress response is triggered, voice control deteriorates, thoughts narrow, and the approach becomes mechanical. The techniques have not disappeared. They just can’t be accessed.
Experience shows that until the mindset is changed, no other technique will solve the situation in the long term. A cycle of pressure and persuasion begins, which often ends with the departure of an otherwise very good employee.
What this means:
- Internal blocks arise before the action itself
- Stress response limits access to learned skills (also automated in the mind)
- The problem is not the technique, but the state from which it is used
Engagement is not a matter of motivation
Companies often try to “increase motivation.” But motivation is not something that can be sustainably provided from the outside.
Long-term engagement occurs when a person:
- sees the purpose of their work,
- primarily believes they can influence the outcome,
- has the experience that change is possible.
In other words, when their internal mindset aligns with the company’s goals. Without this, any pressure remains short-term and costly.
Managers and business owners who understand this have excellent teams that work because they want to, not just because payday is coming.
Where traditional learning hits a wall
Many corporate trainings teach what to do.
Less often they address the internal state in which people do it.
The result is that techniques quickly fade, and behavior change is not lasting. Not because the training is bad, but because mindset was not part of the process.
This is often misunderstood. It’s not a “soft topic,” but a performance factor that determines the return on investment in people.
Key Takeaways
- Knowledge without working on mindset does not change behavior
- Lasting change requires working with internal state
- Performance is a combination of skills and mindset (i.e., how an employee understands the purpose of their work or their position in the company)
Why working with the mind is a strategic advantage
Companies that systematically work with employees’ mental mindset need less control, pressure, and micromanagement. People are more autonomous, stable, and better able to handle change.
This is not an alternative to KPIs or processes (they support each other). It is a layer that determines whether these tools will truly work.
- Working with mindset increases the ROI of training
- Stable performance stems from internal mindset
- Expectations are a silent but crucial management factor
Conclusion
Conclusion of Part Two – What It Means for You
What people believe and expect shapes their behavior, which determines the outcome.
This is exactly where the opportunity opens for deeper work in developing people – not through more pressure, but through understanding the mechanisms that truly drive performance – and create it.
- Performance does not start with action, but with a person’s internal mindset
- The same tools work differently depending on internal mindset
- Engagement cannot be forced, but it can be supported
- Working with the mind is not “soft,” but strategic
- Behavior change requires a change in internal state
- A company’s success is determined by performance, which people generate based on their internal mindset
The topic of working with mental mindset does not end here. Now another layer opens on how to approach people development systematically and sustainably.
In the next article, you will discover which learning, communication, and mindset techniques work – and why.