Something Better than Results
Stop focusing on results.
I just listened to one of the most highly regarded football coaches in the United States say, “Don’t worry about winning.” Freaky!
Here’s the message I took:
Forget about long-term goals.
Concentrate on meaningful, energetic work, now.
Nick Saban, coach of Alabama’s Crimson Tide, says,
“Don’t worry about winning, just focus on doing your job at the highest level, every single play, and the wins will follow.” Nick Saban, football coach.
Now or then:
Set goals but don’t focus on goals. Focus on what matters now. Let goals take care of themselves.
Goals point to what matters now. Without a target, any activity is acceptable. But, once you’ve set goals, set them on the shelf.
The future is now.
What you do now creates your future.
Process or result:
Saban said he’s a process guy. He doesn’t focus on results.
Saban’s idea scares goal-driven leaders. How will you measure success? At the same time, it frees you to consistently bring your best, regardless of outcome.
Forget goals.
Bring your best now.
Maybe it’s too easy for the coach of a #1 football team to say, “Don’t focus on winning.” But remember, he became a winner by focusing on process, not results.
How:
- Agree on standards.
- Identify behaviors that matter most.
- Focus your energy and strengths on what matters most all the time.
Successful leaders focus people’s energy
on what matters now.
Questions:
- Can your team tell you what matters now?
- Does your team know how to do what matters now?
- How are you rewarding behaviors that align with what matters now?
The secret to what matters now is it matters tomorrow too. If it doesn’t matter tomorrow, it doesn’t matter now.
Big goals crush us unless we can do what matters now.
What are the dangers of process before results?
What changes if process takes precedence over goal?
Why not do both? Live the journey and the benefits of achieving your destination.
YES DAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OUTTA the park today!!!!!!
Now I am a results guy to! Just to find the fella or gal who is getting the results I want!
Then I want to find out their process, what they think, feel and DO!!!!
Then repeat as exactly their process as I can!
Just great info today!!!
Oh yeah, nothing changes if process takes precedence.
It works that way all the time, everytime, just some folks do not recognize it and acknowledge this is how it is working.
CYA!
Have a Great DAY!
I Concur!
SP back to now!
Everything counts because we count everything. We then total it up and reward the winners – that’s a message I try to ge out there every day. Of course results matter. If your process doesn’t create them, you’ll find that out in a hurry. But – the results only come if oyu have the right processes in place to create them. I’m in sales and in our business you need structures for support to ensure you are getting in front of the right people with the right message and conencting them to why we matter to their results (and therefore should be part of their process!).
If I woke up every day and said “Outscore the other guy”, the methods used would be all over the map. If I say “create a disciplined approach to managing your sales territory and repeat that over and over again”, it gets a more consistent approach and eventually a more consistent result.
Everything counts because we count everything. So make it count. Process.
Good morning Dan. Coaches words are so very true. Way to often, your team can get overwelmed with ‘ The BIG Picture’, and freeze. Forward progress stops. A good leader regognizes his teams skills and talents while assigning them achievable tasks. As time passes your mission becomes clear and the goal attainable. When concidering what to do next, if I feel the onset of confusion creeping in, I remind myself (the most important thing to do, is the most important thing to do). Break down your objectives, prioritise, recognize small achievments, and celebrate wins. No task is small or insignificant. like making a ‘Gourment dessert’, leave out just one ingredient and it’s a flop, but with just the rite pinch of this & a touch of that , and you’ve got a winning masterpiece. “When I began to read this Dan I wasn’t sure that I’d agree”. REALLY GOOD POST my freind. Happy Veterans Days to all, Semper-Fi!!!!!!!!
Reblogged this on TPS Lower School Faculty Blog and commented:
Excellent blog post!
Dear Dan,
A meaningful post! Liked Nick Saban’s comments on winning and the focus on process rather than results. It gives a good direction and the winning formula by concentrating on the current steps/ efforts. Focusing on ‘now’ will also mean working on set priorities and going systematically towards a win.
Working on mere results may lead to win at any cost which is at times undesirable. It also can drag you to unfair and unethical practices with a short-term goal in mind.
The individuals or companies seeking a long-term success with dignity should remain focused on the correct process by setting good standards of performance. A right direction with set guidelines to succeed is utmost desirable and the leaders have their definite roles to train, guide and control the behavior of all to ensure a fair play. The winning is not always possible since it depends on many external factors including the competitor’s unethical means and moves. Yet, the journey to success can be much more satisfying and fruitful for achieving larger goals.
Good Vs. Great Organizations differ primarily on the quality process/efforts together with committed workforce.
Dan, when we focus on what is most important now, then what is most important next, we can proceed on the journey to our goal, step by step. The goal provides the destination and a general direction but not the path. Daily, even hourly, we must carefully work our way through the swamp, the desert, over the mountains and along the by-passes. Many people never enjoy the satisfaction of reaching their goal, because they never learned to take the path step by step.
Leadership philosophy, process and lastly purpose are the 3 parts (heel to toe) of each step each day. Nice insight Dan.
This is a common challenge for frontline leaders… Coaching to the “goal” versus the behavior is not helpful.
People don’t change scorecards, they change behaviors.
I do agree that true success comes from winning in the moment time and time again… through concerted effort on the right behaviors… and celebrating the incremental wins.
However, I do find having a big vision is an important part of the inspiration. People are energized toward winning something important.
Well. When you do something for the joy of doing it, results follow. When you put results first, the work becomes a drudgery. Results don’t follow.
These days I write and photograph for the joy of writing and photography.
The results are starting to follow
I feel like folks my age need to follow what Saban said. Too many people today are focusing on making goals and achieving them. We need to seriously need find what you love about something, and never let it go.
I post really resonated with me. I particularly was struck by the phrase…”The future is now. What you do now creates your future.” As a high school teacher and mother of teenagers, this is gem of a reminder. So often kids are looking for the quick and easy way because every one else seems to be taking that route. I need to subtly remind them that our actions today ARE the building blocks of our future.
What’s different ? Isn’t success paved with small wins !
That’s where my thought process always leads: If it’s a good idea let’s do it now!
Don’t worry about stats just do the job ???
John Hall
Thus makes sense. Unconventional but interesting
The process always justifies the goal, but the goal may not always justify the process.