One of my favorite quotes is from Edward Deming, the famous
business consultant who revolutionized management theory.
He observed that in the end, what we measure and hold
ourselves accountable for, gets done.
Nobody likes being embarrassed by failing to complete a
task, and for most of us, the personal integrity issue is
even more potent than any embarrassment from "failure."
Once we’ve committed ourselves to complete a task or reach
an objective, we HATE falling short. I think that actually
explains a lot of failure, both in business and in our
personal lives.
We hate failing so much we refuse to set objective,
measurable expectations. We have dreams or wishes or
fantasies (call them what you will) but we hesitate to set
hard, measurable performance goals.
I see this in talking with people about coaching. When we
interview each other they tell me they are "ready" or want
to achieve more than they have in the past. When I ask them
to be specific, they often hesitate and then give me a
nice, vague statement about being "successful."
But success, my friends, is not a thing to be achieved!
Success is the result, almost a side-benefit of achieving
specific, measurable results. Success is the popular
acclaim or recognition we enjoy after we complete a series
of far more specific (and usually less spectacular) tasks.
If you want success, make more sales than anyone in your
company. If you want success, climb a mountain or publish a
best-seller. If you want success, do the things that get
the results you desire. I guarantee that success will
follow, but only AFTER you’ve achieved those more mundane,
measurable results.
business consultant who revolutionized management theory.
He observed that in the end, what we measure and hold
ourselves accountable for, gets done.
Nobody likes being embarrassed by failing to complete a
task, and for most of us, the personal integrity issue is
even more potent than any embarrassment from "failure."
Once we’ve committed ourselves to complete a task or reach
an objective, we HATE falling short. I think that actually
explains a lot of failure, both in business and in our
personal lives.
We hate failing so much we refuse to set objective,
measurable expectations. We have dreams or wishes or
fantasies (call them what you will) but we hesitate to set
hard, measurable performance goals.
I see this in talking with people about coaching. When we
interview each other they tell me they are "ready" or want
to achieve more than they have in the past. When I ask them
to be specific, they often hesitate and then give me a
nice, vague statement about being "successful."
But success, my friends, is not a thing to be achieved!
Success is the result, almost a side-benefit of achieving
specific, measurable results. Success is the popular
acclaim or recognition we enjoy after we complete a series
of far more specific (and usually less spectacular) tasks.
If you want success, make more sales than anyone in your
company. If you want success, climb a mountain or publish a
best-seller. If you want success, do the things that get
the results you desire. I guarantee that success will
follow, but only AFTER you’ve achieved those more mundane,
measurable results.
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