Measuring Success, Staying Sane
One of the major issues I have to deal with on a daily basis is assessing progress. This applies to both my personal and business life. The biggest problem I come across is people using emotions to judge progress. Not only is this apparent in the lack of a structured status system, but in also the choice of words they use when describing the current situation. Phrases such as "I'm feeling like we aren't progressing" or "I feel like we are moving forward" are often used to describe how well, or how poorly, a company is doing. This doesn't work. Emotions change constantly and never give an objective view.
The most important step, in my opinion, is to set goals that can be measured. "More sales" or "get caught up" is not something that can ever be reached because there is no specific event that will indicate success. When measurable goals are set, such as increasing sales by 20% in 3 months or reducing overdue projects to 5% within 4 months, there is a set date where you can sit down, and see if the goal was met. No emotions need to come into play.
The second most important step is to set achievable and measurable milestones. Goals are long term. Somewhere along the way, you could start losing sight of your goals. The only way to keep yourself focused is to set short-term milestones to track progress and make sure everyone is on target. This can be as simple as splitting your goal into smaller segments, such as "increase sales by 5% this month." When the end of the month comes, it's easy to tell if everything is going as planned.
Business isn't the only environment where goals and milestones provide clearer views of the bigger picture. Your personal life can be improved just as much, if not more, by following the same steps. "Get rid of my debt by the end of the year" and "Spend half my free time with my family" are examples of using goals in a non-business environment. Notice the subtle yet very important difference between "spend half my free time with my family" and "spend more time with my family." The first is easily measured, the second is very vague.
Another great benefit of this system is gratification. It feels good to stop, look back, and say "hey, I'm doing a damn good job!" It provides all the energy you will need to keep going.
That's all for now, off to the sleep.
The most important step, in my opinion, is to set goals that can be measured. "More sales" or "get caught up" is not something that can ever be reached because there is no specific event that will indicate success. When measurable goals are set, such as increasing sales by 20% in 3 months or reducing overdue projects to 5% within 4 months, there is a set date where you can sit down, and see if the goal was met. No emotions need to come into play.
The second most important step is to set achievable and measurable milestones. Goals are long term. Somewhere along the way, you could start losing sight of your goals. The only way to keep yourself focused is to set short-term milestones to track progress and make sure everyone is on target. This can be as simple as splitting your goal into smaller segments, such as "increase sales by 5% this month." When the end of the month comes, it's easy to tell if everything is going as planned.
Business isn't the only environment where goals and milestones provide clearer views of the bigger picture. Your personal life can be improved just as much, if not more, by following the same steps. "Get rid of my debt by the end of the year" and "Spend half my free time with my family" are examples of using goals in a non-business environment. Notice the subtle yet very important difference between "spend half my free time with my family" and "spend more time with my family." The first is easily measured, the second is very vague.
Another great benefit of this system is gratification. It feels good to stop, look back, and say "hey, I'm doing a damn good job!" It provides all the energy you will need to keep going.
That's all for now, off to the sleep.
