Fundamental #11: Deliver Results

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The 30 Fundamentals that make up the “ConnectSMART Way” describe how we want to run our business – the way we treat our clients, the way we work with each other, and even the way we relate to our vendors and suppliers.  They’re who we are and they’re the foundation of our success.  They drive everything we do, every day. Each week we focus on a different fundamental and discuss in depth.

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Fundamental #11: Deliver Results

While effort is appreciated, we reward and celebrate results. Set high goals, use measurements to track your progress, and hold yourself accountable for achieving results.

So yesterday I wrote an epic dissertation on delivering results and emailed it at 4:59pm.  Alas, I found out that morning that it not only was not sent but it was completely eaten by a corrupted outlook! Ironically this fundamental is very relevant to this situation. Only the results matter. Deliver results!

Results come as a by-product of hard work, but hard work and effort is not a substitute for results. I think that sometimes we find ourselves spinning our wheels working hard and not getting anywhere because we forget the second half of this fundamental.  Without setting a goal, you will never reach it.  How do you know if you have succeeded if you don’t know how to define it and measure it? That is one of the biggest problems with the ‘everyone is a winner’.  You are considered a winner just for showing up! I never wanted my kids to get a medal or trophy that they didn’t earn.  Yet as we get older, sometimes we want the ‘A for effort’ instead of for accomplishment.

The iconic Nike swoosh.  “Just Do It” – the slogan of winning.  Nike took its name from the goddess Nike of Greek mythology.  Nike was the goddess of victory in both battle and sport.  We have all heard the famous quote of “it isn’t whether you win or lose, but how you play the game”.  In reality, it only matters if you win. If you played your best and lost it should prod you to do better next time! As David pointed out before, second place is the first loser.  We don’t discount effort, but it only goes so far. If it isn’t taking us to results we need to re-examine the game we are playing.

Some time ago I listened to a speaker talking about accountability, and it really stuck with me.  She was relating that you can’t ‘hold someone accountable’.  The only person you can truly hold accountable is yourself.  Too often we don’t want the accountability and the cold, hard facts of accurate measurement.  We need to face up to where we are in order to do better.  No one can be forced to excel.  We can be coerced, cajoled, or managed to minimum standards – but excellence can only be achieved by our own desire and dedication.  Albert Einstien also said that “You have to learn the rules of the game, then play better than everyone else”. What is it that makes a world-class team of winners? Constant improvement to specific results! Those results are success.

So this week let’s focus on knowing what your goal is, tracking your progress toward it, and then pulverizing it! Then let’s celebrate it! Talk about in your teams each day what your specific, measurable goal is.  Hold yourself accountable – not to trying really hard and putting in a lot of time and effort, but by accomplishing.  By doing.  Just do it!

Best Regards

Dan