Peak Performance in Talented People
About Dr TK Harris MD
Program Director
I went to school in Zimbabwe, along with my childhood friend Mufti Menk. He remains one of my closest friends, with whom I talk and meet frequently.
I gained medical and business degrees in the UK. I initially trained in cardiac surgery where I found it fascinating to learn about why stress and psychology influenced cardiac health so powerfully. This took me to Oxford's School of Psychiatry in 2001 where I began training in Psychiatry. I subsequently gained my specialist accreditations, achieving the highest level- consultant- as a neuropsychiatrist in the UK.
I returned to Oxford University in 2009, this time to to the SAID Business School, researching high performance and leadership psychology. My clinical skills in helping people to navigate difficult situations turned out to be very helpful to those in competitive and commercial arenas. I was called to consult for competitive sports teams and commercial firms who saw value in my skillset. Harris Hawkins Performance Projects was born out of need and demand.
Outside medicine, the techniques of changing human thoughts and behaviour are not delivered with the kind of rigour and evidence that I would demand myself. So I constantly try to deliver to this high standard to our clients.
I also do several things alongside performance work:
- Writing. Eight books and counting.
- Performance consultancy.
- Residential recovery learning programs and special residential days for execs at our Manor House facility near Cape Town.
- Voluntary Work. Chair of the non-profit Mental Health Access Mission.
- Teaching and Mentoring. As a coaches' coach. Invited to join Forbes Coaches' Council in 2019.
- Work internationally, spending my time mostly between the UK, Asia and Africa.
Most intelligent, insightful people know when they find something genuinely useful. You have those 'Aha' moments which come when you find an answer to something that you have always wanted to understand. I do my best to help you find those those moments more frequently than anything you have done before.
As the world of performance consulting evolves and raises standards of expertise and regulation, this will benefit society as a whole. Clients deserve help from people who know what they are doing. For now, we are proud to be at the leading edge of what is being rapidly recognised by business and sport as profession that rapidly delivers great gains relative to its cost.
Peak Performance in Talented People
Teams, Offices and Locations
- Oxford (UK)- University Science Park OX4 3UB
- Western Cape (South Africa), Lawrence Lane Knysna 6570,
- Hong Kong (China), Dominion Building, Wanchai
- Opening soon: Dubai Branch Freezone Office,
Why Performance Psychiatry?
The most reliable and sustainable type of coaching, by a large margin.
Medical expertise and knowledge used in a high-functioning population, collaboratively.
No rigid 'doctor knows best' stigma. Dramatic, compelling improvement.
Doctor
Alongside
- Rigour. Not guesswork.
- Not controlling you, but working collaboratively with you.
- 25+ years of experience at Oxford's Psychiatry and Business Schools.
- Extensive real commercial experience informs our strategy.
- Go deep. Target the root causes beneath both strengths and weaknesses.
Exponential Improvement
No more
stigma
- Bespoke goals.
- For C-suite, elite sports, entrepreneurs, founders.
- Skills like leadership, influence, competitive edge, self awareness.
- Methods and goals are structured and auditable.
- Seeing a performance psychiatrist is a positive, cathartic experience.
- It makes people feel valued and invested, restoring belief.
- Strengths revived and increased.
- Psychological problems are also tackled.
- A safe space to explore rich avenues for growth.
Small means nimble.
Our small firm arose from a University project office, in 2010.
We have a core permanent staff of 4, but we have expanded this to 12 where projects have required it.
The variability of our work requires that we retain the flexibility that comes from using our project-based model, drafting in additional doctors, researchers, expert opinions, facilitators and administrators as suited best to projects and clients.
This makes us responsive and adaptable and keeps our proposition at very high value.
Value our work like any other investment.
This simple principle applies:
Client returns must exceed their investment.
Time, hours, people, money: the results should pay back much more in these than what the client spent with us.
In practice, we achieve this because we let you know what is realistic and we agree the parameters with you beforehand.
The second principle:
Nothing is gained by aimless or endless sessions or 'placeholding'.
If we don't expect to be able to help, we give you reasons why.
It's another element of our medical-level of ethics.