Fundamental of the Week #14: Deliver Results

While effort is appreciated, what gets recognized and rewarded are results. Set high goals, don’t overpromise, track and measure your progress, then hold yourself accountable for delivering on the results.

Deliver results is the end game of Fundamental #13 from last week, “Find a Way.” What these two do not mean is “at any cost!” We come from the approach that most people want to make a difference in what they do and certainly producing results fosters and illuminates that. An important part of producing results is how you get there. The deliverable is just part of the result. Everything we do gets done inside of a network of people and how our efforts impact others in the process is important. We are almost always dependent on other people in getting results produced. For example, writing these fundamentals just takes my computer and me; however, I’m dependent on others to review, edit and post. I could also do those things, reducing my overall effectiveness, but I’m still dependent on readers finding these posts valuable or there is no result.We have often worked in organizations where there were high performers whose impact was toxic on others. This ultimately reduced their effectiveness, because others started avoiding them, or going around them. In business, many people naturally have their eye on just the result; others have their eye on the relationship. Paying attention to both increases results in the moment and enriches the path to future results.I work in the mining industry quite a bit. There is a practice called “high grading,” which is extracting ore from richer parts of the ore body to produce immediate higher results. It’s a practice that is generally frowned on because it diminishes the life of the ore body. In our ambition to produce results, it’s critical to recognize that the result is just part of the action. How we get there is also an element of the result. Paying attention to the impact of how we produce results is as important as the result. Why, because it makes for greater effectiveness over a longer period of time. Consider refraining from high grading your results and possibly end up producing casualties for a short-term gain. We invite you to play the long-game. We would wager that your accomplishments and the difference you make in the quality of your relationships would multiply exponentially.Next week, the fundamental focuses on an important part of delivering results: #15 Be Accountable for Setting and Receiving Clear Expectations.Craig ClarkFounder and CEO,Momentum Consulting, Inc