Today is a sacred day in Boston as the annual Patriot's Day Boston Marathon runs from Hopkinton, MA all the way into the city.  Thousands of runners will take part, and for all of them, the day is the celebration and achievement of months and months of focus, training, coaching, learning and athletic performance management.

Workplace performance management can take more than a few cues from what runners can teach us, and from the lessons learned training for and running a marathon.

Here are 6 Performance Management Lessons Learned from Marathon Runners:

1. You've got to start somewhere so commit to the first step:  No runner starts training Day 1 with a 10k sprint, and the best runners start with a measurable and progressively achievable mileage plan.  Performance management is much the same: There are many facets to modern performance management, but the most authentic managers recognize that the process must begin with an achievable "first step" to bring an organization into its performance management groove.  TalentFirst's recommendation for that first step?  Start with Coaching.

2. Speaking of Coaching...A running coach can be a life-saver for a marathon trainer, since coaches help runners figure out exactly how to meet their performance objectives.  Employees today expect much the same from their managers.  The "manager as coach" role is an essential component of successful leadership, and employees are looking to their managers to help them experience progress towards their goals, aligned with and in pursuit of larger corporate objectives.

3. Speaking of Coaches...the most attuned marathon runners are acutely aware that these coaches are actually everywhere, if runners open their eyes and expand their horizons for coaching and feedback.  Marathon runners have gleaned great tips and tricks from coaches and athletes in disciplines outside of track and field...yoga teachers, swim masters, karate experts...all may be outside the lens of traditional performance coaches for runners, but all have proven their usefulness in providing valuable alternative perspectives and advice.  So too with performance management in today's organizations.  Savvy employees seek out coaching and feedback from outside of their traditional team and management circle, leveraging the best of insights and expertise to grow their understanding of how to bring their A-game in relevant and meaningful ways that support team and company goals.

4. Speaking of goals...The marathon runner's week-over-week running plan is bible to them in order to meet their goals.  Commit to the plan, week by week, day by day, and as time goes by, suddenly the ultimate achievement is in sight: finishing a marathon.  This concept of breaking down a big goal into smaller, more easily measurable and achievable time-delineated components is also the key to agile goal management in the workplace.  Teams who regularly meet to set their goals - but also adjust and recast those goals as conditions change -- are the most nimble and successful groups of people in any organization. 

5. Speaking of teams...Running may seem like an individual sport, and it is true that each and every runner's sneakers cross the finish line individually.  However, the best runners know that fellow runners make the sport, and you are never alone in a marathon.  Marathon runners are extraordinarily supportive of one another, as are the crowds who gather to root them on.  There is a natural spirit of recognition and collaboration in the air, as runners work towards their own personal goals while staying mindful of those around them and the support they might need to keep going.  One of the hallmarks of modern team management involves insuring support for all so that the team's results can be better than the sum of the individual contributor's parts.

6. Managing multiple marathons: Let's face it: the business world often can feel like a series of multiple marathons, where just as one "marathon sprint of a project" crosses the line, a new audacious project goal comes quickly into view.  But for those who have leveraged great training, feedback, crowdsourced recognition and agile goal management effectively, big goals become achievable, and exceptional results become an expected output of great productivity.  Marathon runners - especially those who run multiple marathons - know this better than anyone.  These are the kind of runners who will finish the Boston Marathon today, and after a few days of nursing some aching tendons and sore muscles, these winners will start looking around to set their next marathon performance goal...

For more tips and best practices to create a culture of continuous performance growth, download the latest TalentFirst Whitepaper.