When you are so focused on measuring success, do you forget to feel success?
Success was about hitting targets
When you’re in the last two months of a construction project, you are intently focused on targets.
- You need to open on time.
- You need to stay on budget.
- You need everything to work properly.
The relief when the delayed light fixtures are finally delivered, is brief and quickly replaced by the urgency of accommodating the fire marshal.
It’s like pushing through an obstacle course for a medal if you reach the end before the clock runs out.
What does the finish line even look like?
I remember one school project, that had been a blur of emergencies through all of August. But somehow, with the cleaners leaving out the back door, we had students entering the front door for their first day of school.
The dust hadn’t settled yet – literally or figuratively!
It would still be a while of negotiating change orders before we would see the full budget picture. And the punchlist was full of thermostats to adjust, ceiling tiles to replace, and window shades to install.
I met someone who reminded me what success FEELS like
That day, standing off to the side, in the morning sun, I paused to watch parents and students experience the new building for the first time.
One boy, no more than 8 years old, actually came over to me, and told me that it was beautiful. And he said, “Thank you for building this for me.” My heart burst!
He was not only aware that adults had built something, but that we had built it for him, and he was grateful.
I shook his extended hand, and with a frog in my throat, I said it was our pleasure.
I had been so caught up in measuring success on paper, I had forgotten why I was doing it. That moment of connection with an 8 year old reminded me that the true goal is to feel success.
Exercise to broaden the definition of success
Here’s an exercise to help you strengthen your connection muscle:
- Today, identify something that you’re working on that you hope will be successful.
- Then, list the various ways that you and others are measuring that success. Perhaps there are KPI (key performance indicators), quotas, targets, and deadlines.
- Then, add to the list, new ways to define success. Perhaps based on the quality of the service and the impact on relationships and the community.
- Every day this week, pick one thing from the list, and reflect on how you might observe or acknowledge it.
- At the end of the week, notice the range of ways you can define success and what is inspiring you.
- Then pick something from the list to put on a sticky note or a monthly reflection log, that will remind you of this.
