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Focus on Outcomes

The main idea
The purpose and secret of managing is to act in such a way that certain things get done and certain outcomes are achieved. Because of this, it's important to keep your focus on desired outcomes.

 

Think about these questions (and write down your answers - it may take some time but it can be worth it)

• what is meant to have happened as a result of the work done by you and your staff?

• what are the observable results - the differences you are meant to be making?

Why this matters
If you keep your attention on the desired outcomes, you will be guided in how to act. It's useful to 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.  Ask yourself "What do I want to happen as a result of this meeting? And what do I need to do to make that more likely to happen?"

Another useful idea
The technique of critical incident analysis can be useful in learning from your experience, both those that had good outcomes and those which didn't go so well.