Win, lose, learn
Want to start getting better results in your work? Try frequently measuring your progress, setting small goals, and analyzing your processes.
If I were a young athlete competing at the Olympic games, it's a safe bet that my entire focus would be the outcome of that one event. After all, an Olympic gold medal is probably the single greatest achievement of any athlete's career.
As it happens, I am neither terribly young nor an Olympic contender. But I do train in a competitive sport, and I participate in several tournaments each year.
And while there's no denying that it feels nice to walk away with a medal, here's something I've noticed:
When I compete in a local tournament, I'm not as interested in the medals as I am in the video of my matches.
That's because, unlike the friendly sparring I get in training several times a week, I know that at a tournament:
My opponent is roughly my age, weight, and skill level; and
My opponent will not go easy on me, ever.
So even though the medal is of no particular value, the matches themselves are an actual test of my progress in the sport.
Reviewing the videos helps me to see:
Have I improved in the specific skills I'm trying to perfect?
Did I anticipate the challenges that would come to me and respond appropriately?
Did I miss opportunities that could have made a difference?
Was my game plan sound, or should I rethink my approach?
Did I execute my techniques properly? And if not, where could I improve them?
That learning gives me a win that goes far beyond a tournament ranking — it’s a durable process for continually improving my game.
When asked, I will encourage people new to the sport to compete as frequently as possible, for just these reasons.
And for those same reasons, I encourage my nonprofit coaching clients to do the same:
As frequently as you can, set goals that are challenging for you.
Enjoy the wins (you will). Mourn the losses (you will).
But more importantly, review the tape. If you win, why did you win? And how could you have won better? If you lose, why did you lose? And where could you improve?
Here’s the thing:
Most of us are not going to be Olympic-level athletes. But our work, if it's effective, wil make a difference in the lives of the people that we care about.
The beauty of frequently setting challenging goals for ourselves is that it's a win-win:
If you reach the goal, then of course that's fantastic.
And if you don't, win anyway! It’s a matter of measuring your results and carefully reviewing your processes for continual improvement.
All the best,
A.