Creating Positive Tension To Maximize Performance
by Alex Freytag
At a recent conference, I revisited a powerful principle that directly impacts how businesses can elevate performance: the Yerkes-Dodson Law. Dating back to 1908, this concept remains highly relevant today, especially for businesses running on EOS®. The Yerkes-Dodson Law provides key insights into how leaders can optimize their teams by effectively creating tension to maximize performance within the organization.
The Yerkes-Dodson Law and Tension as a Tool
The Yerkes-Dodson Law highlights a direct correlation between tension (T) and performance (P). Simply put, as tension increases, so does performance… to a point. When there is no tension in an organization and not much is asked of people, there are lower levels of performance. As tension increases, through higher expectations of performance, so does performance, until that tipping point when performance begins to fall with too much tension.
In the EOS framework, tension can come from a variety of sources: setting Quarterly Rocks, reviewing weekly to-dos, tracking progress on scorecards, hiring and firing around Core Values, and driving accountability through regular Level 10 Meetings. These Tension Tools® are designed to set clear expectations and ensure that everyone on the team is aligned and focused on achieving the vision.
But here’s where Yerkes-Dodson offers a valuable insight…