Focus on Outcomes
The main idea: The secret of successful managing is to act in such a way that certain things get done and certain outcomes are achieved.
Activity The two questions below will help you prioritise and focus your energy and planning. Write down your answers, and look at them at the start of each week. You will probably need to upgrade them or rethink them from time to time.
1. What is meant to be the result of the work done by me and my staff?
2. What differences should we be making, and how will we recognise them?
Why this matters
If you keep your attention on the desired outcomes, (which may also be called 'objectives') you will be guided in how
to act and what needs attention. Keep your team reminded of these so that they too can
prioritise their work effectively.
Focusing on outcomes can also help you plan for meetings and other events. Make a note for yourself - "What I want to happen as a result of this meeting. And what I need to do to make that more likely to happen." With this in your mind, you can avoid getting distracted.
Remember too that, to achieve the outcomes, you have to work well with your people, and be very clear and effective in the way you communicate.
You yourself may have targets given to you; you may depend on the team's work, for you to achieve your targets. This can lead to pressures on you and on them. You need to be careful about this effect. The people in your team may resent the feeling of being used to help you succeed, without getting credit for themselves.
Another useful idea
The technique of critical incident analysis can be useful in learning
from your experiences, both those that had good outcomes and those which
didn't go so well.
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