The Essence of Performance

Will we ever stop thinking technology is the answer to all human problems?

If history is anything to go by, the answer is a big fat No!

Since I first got into the field of training and development, we have seen…
…E-learning
…Mobile learning
…Virtual learning
…Digital learning
…On demand learning portals
…and much more.

Despite positive intention, none of these have proved to be the gamechanger we hoped.

Yet here we are again. All bowing down to the new daddy of technology…. AI.

Don’t get me wrong, Agentic AI has the potential to bring major benefits to building skill. The opportunity to practice in a safe space, at any time with an agent who is consistent, with no hidden motive and free of judgement offers a giant step forward.

However, skill only plays one small part in what enables people to perform well.

Performance happens
… in live contexts…
… with real colleagues and real customers…
… in the heat of battle.

This is where things like pressure, stress, doubt, fear of getting it wrong etc. show up. It is therefore our ability to successfully navigate through these that have the biggest impact on our performance.

AI isn’t going to help us with this – at least not yet!

So right here, right now in 2026, we need to be masters of our own destiny.

Yes, we should experiment with AI to help master the skills that are essential for our role.

But we also need to master our ability to overcome the natural human reactions that can significantly limit how well we apply those skills in real life.

@Secondreaction has been created specifically for this purpose so get in touch if you’re interested in finding out more.

#secondreaction #AIandhumansnotAIorhumans