What does success look like?

THE most important step in achieving outstanding results is being able to clearly and thoroughly define what success looks like. It’s not as easy as it may seem, requiring more than a quick meeting or creating a simple vision statement which in many instances is something like a two dimensional picture. Business is more complex and requires us to consider numerous perspectives. Mark Twain once said “I can teach anybody how to get what they want out of life. The problem is that I can't find anybody who can tell me what they want”.

Consider defining success as a three dimensional object that can be viewed from all angles. In order to clearly define the object, one has to consider the perspectives of all those we need to engage in making the words become a reality.

What does success look like from the owner perspective? What about finance or operations or human resources? The owner might be thinking legacy and industry reputation. The finance team wants cash in the bank or credit to support the business plan. Operations needs certain productivity levels, enabling technology or possibly supply chain partnerships. HR wants to be able to draw top talent, spend more time on development and less time on reports and systems.

Also, we can’t forget the most important perspective of all, that of the customer. What trends are driving the industry; what are they saying about your products or services; what are they not saying?

After clearly and thoroughly defining success, step back and using similar perspectives, describe your current reality. At this point it’s probably obvious that there is a gap between where you want or need to be and where you are. If you have done a thorough job with the process of defining success, you should have a team committed to develop the strategies and plans necessary to close the gap. Now, it’s all about execution.

“Determine that the thing can and shall be done and then we shall find the way.” Abraham Lincoln.