Working language
Definitions and Terminology
Behavioural Performance draws on several established disciplines and introduces a specific applied language for describing person-specific execution systems.
Term index
- Accountability
- Adaptation
- Alignment
- Attention Friction
- Behavioural Performance
- Capability Friction
- Completion Friction
- Continuous Learning
- Decision Friction
- Designed Intervention
- Energy Pattern
- Execution
- Execution Friction
- Initiation Friction
- Interpersonal Friction
- Intervention Provider
- Performance Evidence
- Person-Specific Execution System
- Person–System Fit
- Person Supply
- Prioritisation Friction
- Regulatory Friction
- Required Outcome
- Scaffolding
- Sequencing Friction
- Strength
- Structure Friction
- Task Demand
- Working Definition
Glossary
- Accountability
The obligation to produce, evidence or take responsibility for a required outcome and for compliance with relevant legal, ethical, safety and quality standards.
- Adaptation
A deliberate modification to an adaptable component of the execution pathway that preserves the fixed outcome and its governing constraints.
- Alignment
The degree to which task demands, person supply and execution-system design support reliable production of the required outcome.
- Attention Friction
Difficulty sustaining, shifting or protecting attention in a way that supports the required task.
- Behavioural Performance
An emerging applied discipline focused on understanding and designing the interaction between people, task demands, execution systems and required outcomes.
- Capability Friction
Execution difficulty caused primarily by an insufficiently developed skill, knowledge base, level of experience or practical capacity.
- Completion Friction
Difficulty carrying work through its final stages, including checking, closing, documenting or handing off the outcome.
- Continuous Learning
The repeated use of execution and outcome evidence to refine assumptions, interventions and system design.
- Decision Friction
Delay, avoidance or inconsistency created by uncertainty, excessive options, unclear authority or insufficient decision support.
- Designed Intervention
A deliberate change to capability, workflow, tools, sequencing, support, environment, decision rules or feedback intended to reduce execution friction and improve performance.
- Energy Pattern
A relatively recurring change in subjective activation, effort, willingness or fatigue associated with performing a category of work.
Clarification: Energy is not treated as a single fixed personality trait and should not be used as the sole basis for role design.
- Execution
The observable process through which intentions, decisions and plans are converted into actions and completed outcomes.
- Execution Friction
A recurring point at which the interaction between a person, task and system increases the effort, delay, inconsistency or failure risk involved in producing a required outcome.
- Initiation Friction
Difficulty beginning a required action at the appropriate time despite awareness of the task or intention to complete it.
- Interpersonal Friction
Execution difficulty arising from communication demands, social dynamics, conflict, trust, influence or coordination between people.
- Intervention Provider
The person, process or technology through which an intervention is delivered, including the individual, manager, team, workflow, training programme, software or AI system.
- Performance Evidence
Observable information used to determine whether required behaviours, outputs, standards and outcomes have been achieved reliably.
- Person-Specific Execution System
The combination of behaviours, capabilities, workflows, tools, support structures, decision rules, environmental conditions and feedback mechanisms through which a particular individual produces required outcomes.
- Person–System Fit
The quality of interaction between a person and the surrounding workflow, tools, support, environment and decision structures through which work is executed.
- Person Supply
The capabilities, knowledge, behavioural tendencies, experience, energy patterns, resources and constraints a person currently brings to a task or role.
Clarification: “Person supply” is a working technical term. It should not be interpreted as reducing a person to a resource or commodity.
- Prioritisation Friction
Difficulty determining which actions require attention first when multiple demands compete.
- Regulatory Friction
Execution difficulty associated with emotional regulation, stress response, impulse control, recovery or maintaining effective behaviour under pressure.
Clarification: Here, “regulatory” refers to self-regulation and should not be confused with legal or government regulation.
- Required Outcome
A result, standard or condition that must be achieved, regardless of the execution path used to produce it.
- Scaffolding
Temporary or adjustable support that helps a person perform a task while capability or execution reliability develops.
- Sequencing Friction
Difficulty organising actions into an effective order that supports completion and quality.
- Strength
A capability or pattern that contributes positively and repeatedly to effective performance under relevant conditions.
Clarification: Strength is not synonymous with preference, enjoyment, confidence or a high assessment score.
- Structure Friction
Difficulty performing reliably when expectations, processes, boundaries or next steps are insufficiently defined.
- Task Demand
A cognitive, behavioural, interpersonal, physical, technical, emotional or regulatory requirement imposed by a task or role.
- Working Definition
A definition proposed for use and testing during the development of a field, rather than a claim of final or universal acceptance.
See how the terms connect in theperson-specific execution systems framework, then review the research agenda and technology safeguards.