Success is more than a buzz word in business! We talk a lot about success in the world of work, in change, in growth and business development; success personally, success in small business; the meaning of success in any context! At the same time, success is allusive. We have a clue right in front of us about being “less than successful.” That is, traditional strategic planning has an historic failure rate of 85% +/-. How is it “success” can be so obvious and not?
Regardless of industry or issue, I experience leaders and teams struggle to define success in tangible, measurable terms. This miss happens time and time again. This struggle shows in small business, those with less resource. Same question, “How can “success” be so allusive, so obvious and not?” Is a lack of resources really the issue? In my experience, no.
One reason success can be allusive is because each person, team, department, or participant likely has a different “picture of success.” Say this again. Success for you may be, and likely is, different for me, different for co-workers, with or for our customers, vendors, suppliers, or production. As often as not, each “system” has a different want and/or need.
Here’s another question that gets us closer to effective process and “success.” How often are the different wants or needs explored in depth? Remember, there’s rarely a common definition at the outset of a list of goals that measure success! Outcome? Players, even on the same team are likely to disagree. Worse, it’s rare to hear participants divulge their differences in the name of clarity. In meetings we allude to alignment that is probable as not, missing. Evidence of missing alignment is when “the real meeting happens after the meeting.”
Next miss? Imagine celebrating difference! Paradoxically, the act of celebrating the sharing of different wants and needs, different measurements is an effective way to get to shared wants and needs! Allowing, even celebrating differences is expedient and builds trust when done treating each other with dignity and respect. Imagine a first gauge of “success” as having the real meeting “IN” the meeting!
Data point: more than 50% of new businesses, small businesses, fail year one. 85% die within two years. Targets get missed; success is missed far more often than not. These results are consistent in small business time after time, and in large businesses projects, hidden by scope and war chests. These results beg the question, why?
Lack of clarity is a great place to start. Like most performance, the concept of doing a “good job” has many variations. “Good job” is not common sense. In 2021 and beyond you and I need to take the time to define what “good job” means “in this context” or for this “event!” Assuming the concept of “good job” is clearly understood is a miss from the start. As leaders and managers work to define (in behaviors) in the context of this project, what does or would good job, success, look like, feel like, result in as measurable outcome?” This action is a great first step! To define what excellence means in each case, each project, each job, is potent! I suggest this task is the first step to achieve the success we say we want! Merriam-Webster defines success as the achievement of a desired aim or purpose; having attained a named goal; achieved wealth, favor, or eminence.
Here are five (5) actions you or any one of your leaders, managers or team can take to get the results you want and need, that is, success. No matter the issue, or industry:
Action 1. Define Excellence:
- First, let go of any notion of common sense.
- Let go of anything being “obvious.” Nothing’s obvious until it’s defined.
- Let go of the fantasy that those around you “know what you mean.”
- Let go of the phrase, “You know” or “You know what I mean!”
- Let go of the phrase, “be successful.”
Then: Define success in measurable standards. Define or even better “mine” from your team the attitude, actions and behaviors that will drive success! Remember: What is clear to you and me as the leader or delegator is likely not immediately obvious and clear to others.
Define success in measurable terms: This may be currency, units, timeline, waste, budget or more. Those measurements are the easiest. If you want raging success step into the “secret sauce” and define human performance and behaviors in measurable ways. (This is where company values get used as verbs, defined as behaviors work as tools.).
Here’s a simple exercise to practice defining behavior-based performance:
- Think about the compliment of “good attitude.”
- Now work backwards and shift the compliment to behavior-based feedback:
- Name the actions, facial expressions, words used, body language, walking speed or body movement that translate to the compliment: “good attitude.”
- You and I cannot coach the compliment of “good attitude.” We can coach and achieve the behaviors OF good attitude.
- Do another round, keep going, now define: A+ player, goes the extra mile, creative, team player, etc.
- Now, take a crack at defining “success” in any given scenario. Name the performance measurements even in attitude and human behavior.
Action 2. Intention and Impact
Define the intention of each action being taken and project the impact. Like any delegation step, install a check back on actions often enough to track the impact of any action, movement, investment, etc. in advance AND early enough that if the project is in fail mode you have time to recover on deadline. This means have measurable achievements as mid-steps and tangible action steps along the way. Think of a ship or plane on course or off. We want to course correct as early as possible and get back on course.
At Miick we no longer use concepts of good or bad, right, or wrong, all of which tends to mine judgmental attitude leading to wasted energy and drama. Our alternative is to pay attention to the concept of what’s effective or not. Tracking effective behavior, actions and attitude keeps us on course without drama. The language shift is more than nuance. When attitude, action, or anything else is not effective, we change it and get back on course. The hard work, small business or large, is to, in advance, define the components of attitude and action. Are we moving forward, “did this work?” and “how well?”
Everything is performance!
The world of performance, theater, film, music, is a great model for the world of business. There are three parts to world class performance:
Part 1. Pre-production- (think, script, props, set list, lighting, etc.) In business, pro forma, construction budget, training design and delivery, etc.) all designed to have the best show possible.
Part 2. Production– That is, performance, do the show! Do your best in absolutely every aspect of what was practiced in pre-production! (Someone take notes during the show!)
Part 3. Postproduction– Evaluate the performance, in real time. The evening of, the next morning. (Not two weeks later) What worked? What didn’t work? Re-write, change the lights or sound or script, practice again… rinse and repeat. Every day!
This three-part ritual begs the old question, How do you get to Broadway, Carnegie Hall or the Oscars? Practice (& improve) practice (& improve) practice (& improve)! ☺
Two more points:
- Remember your team needs to know why what they’re doing is important. Whether you agree or not, “because you’re their boss,” isn’t enough.
- “At the end of the day, intention be darned; impact is all that matters!”
Define excellence, and then, Pay Attention to Your Intention!™
Action 3. Fiscal Acuity
Performance against budget
Step into the idea that if we can budget for a project we can budget for a day, a week, an hour, or a % measurement. Once this is complete, we can manage excellence in any increment, course correct in real time or celebrate (and stay diligent at all times!). Again, set a budget, measure, and modify. Trust and Track. Let go of hope and rely on measurement of our intention and impact, always against the behaviors measured against what was defined as excellent. Celebrate or Course Correct in real time! Stay on course with defined excellence in real time.
To reiterate, measure performance, dollars and %’s daily, accrued to week to period. This is as critical in small business as in large, start up as well as long tenured.
Action 4. Communication:
In many ways, our communication is the primary “how to” of success! Based on recent studies in brain physiology, we know to “Coach to the positive!” The latest data on coaching is this: consistent, positive feedback works! Shift habits from the idea of an annual 360 or quarterly reviews to daily feedback. Research and measurement clearly shows feedback to the positive give on a regular basis, leads to “flow” in performance. This outcome is as real in the world of business as in sports or the arts.
Everything’s an interview™
This is a simple concept we’ve used at Miick for years with great success!: “Everything’s an interview. Would I hire the behavior I just saw? Yes! Celebrate! If no, course correct (to the positive) right now, in the moment!”
Action 5. With ever evolving learning, skills, growth…
Get a coach! We don’t talk about this much in business. Ironically the most successful leaders in business have a coach! The model of professional sports, academics, or performing arts, coaches are at the heart of success. No one doesn’t have a coach. Ongoing learning, then applying that learning to our next project is the epitome of growth and an essence of ROI.
Want more? We’re on your wing! Call us! ☺ Or find out more at miick.com
