Accomplishment is What Matters

July 23, 2007 · Comments

captain america I walked into a McDonalds tonight to attempt to buy an iced coffee. I say “attempt” because the store was in an utter state of chaos. Two employees were hurriedly trying to work both the drive thru [SIC] and the front counter, and instead of buckling down and just working through the crush, they were mostly bitching and moaning. I realized, while observing the scene for a few minutes, that their moaning was helping no one, and that it appeared to me to be slowing them down even more.

You know that old saying, “It’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game?” That’s partly right. The part that gets mistaken or underserved is, you still have to play the game. You have to participate. Finish. Even if you come in 149th place in a 200 person race, finish.

Get it Done

In all transactions in your professional life, the weight of things will likely rest on whether or not you accomplished what you set out to achieve. Did you get the project completed on time? If the answer is no (with subtext of “because Jerry called out sick and we had nothing we could do”), then you didn’t achieve your goal. Who cares why not?

At McDonalds tonight, I just wanted an iced coffee. I don’t care who called in sick. I just know that the people behind the counter didn’t get it done. (Now, in my example, who cares? I can just go on my merry way. But what about at your job? With what you do?)

Find a Way, Not an Excuse

There are some amazing, wonderful excuses out there. I know because I am pretty darned good at coming up with excuses. At the end of the day, more often than not, the excuse does nothing to affect the outcome. Did I accomplish what I set out to get done? Yes or no.

Instead of thinking up excuses, look for solutions. Just work. Just be resourceful. Think past the hurtle, and see if there’s something else, another way, a wild and crazy path that leads you towards success.

Fail Privately

Professionally, the question is simply whether or not you delivered. If not, don’t use meetings or business calls or emails to the team to explain why you failed. Just accept that you did. There’ll be plenty of time for questions later. Just be graceful. Accept that you failed, and go from there. (Some great resources on failure can be found here).

Improve and Strengthen

Look constantly at your failures as a challenge. Take them apart in grizzly detail, for a short duration. Autopsy the corpse of your failure, and then build upon your strengths. This might mean realizing that you’re not meant for a certain task or position. It might mean acknowledging that you didn’t give it a strong enough effort. Whatever the case, be merciless, but then be practical.

Find ways to improve, and seek opportunities to test yourself in a similar fashion. Don’t make this another excuse. Make it a test bed for how you’re going to attack it next time instead.

Add to Your Team

Remember that you’re part of something, and that the rest of the team counts on you. If you’re having trouble understanding WHICH team I’m talking about, you define it. If you work for yourself, there’s still a team. Because you have someone or even yourself looking at you for success. You’ve got bills that need paying and duties to perform. You need to own up to your portion of the effort and add value to your team.

What’s your take?

Are you accomplishing what you set out to accomplish? Are you making excuses or looking for ways to improve? How does your team see you?

Photo credit, catbagan

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  • Mona in New Orleans
    An old friend once told me "Excuses are only for those who need them. Most folks don't want to hear them, they only want to see results." Remembering this has greatly influenced the way my business and personal dealings have been conducted. Your article in 100% on the money.
  • Interestingly to see that behaviour at a McDonalds.

    I worked for a brief time at McD in 1991, over here in Germany shortly before my graduation.

    Videos where part of basic training, how to make the stuff etc. And one of the first videos we where shown actually was exactly about that: Be grumpy and be assured, everybody around you will be the same.

    Smile to the customer, say please and thank you to your colleagues as well and everybody will be nicer.

    Illustrated with teenagers at McD who suddenly saw themselves faced by smiling customers etc.

    But it worked - it got so far out of hand that my family was frightened by my sudden behaviour of saying thanks to everything done. ;)
  • Tim Burke
    "hurtle"?
  • Reminds me of a coworker from long ago. He knew ALL of the rules, every. single. one...in exacting detail. But he did not know how to play the game.

    He spent more time documenting why something didn't work instead of simply figuring out plan B-Z.
  • I might add that taking responsibility (or owning the problem) is part of the solution. I remember being at a meeting with a bunch of people complaining that something was broken and trying to place blame. One person got up and said "Ok, it's my fault, now lets just fix the problem." It wasn't his fault (it may have been no ones) but his simple statement got the team back on track.

    My mom recently went through a 54+ hour trip home from Spain. Flight time is approximately 14 hours, so you can see that there were some serious mess-ups. Her rather accurate observation was "The problem was that no one was taking responsibility for the problem or the solution. They were nice about things but the problem just kept growing."

    Own it and fix it.
  • Thanks for essay. Similar story, different company:

    Target maintains photo processing departments in most of their major stores.

    I dropped off a set of film (remember film?) and was told it would be ready the next day after 4pm. Next day I showed up after 4pm and the film was not ready. Being patient on this I said I would come back the next day.

    The next day I showed up and the film still was not in! At that time I talked to someone at the Target customer service desk. And the excuse I got from them was "Well, Target does not own the photo processing department, they contract that out, and they sometimes get orders messed up" to which I responded "The photo shop employees wear shirts that say 'Target' and the signage says 'Target' and isn't this in a 'Target' store? What are you going to do to help me find my film?"...

    After several more excuse statements from this person I asked to speak to a manager. That person heard my info and took charge: She found the film, told me it would be in next morning, said there would be no charge, and thanked me for my patience. No grumbling, complaints, pointing fingers, just got it done...
  • In the places I've worked, I've always loved those where we are always coming up with one solution after another to get the job done. Somebody would drop the ball, but nobody cared, we simply kept going.

    In other places I've worked, it's a blame-fest. People think they can get ahead by finding a scapegoat rather than a solution.

    You're right. All that matters is getting the job done.
  • Another great post by the insightful Chris Brogran! Figure out the problem and find a solution. Just complaining about it doesn't do anyone any good.
  • kat
    it's hard to smile and not complain when your manager sticks it to you
    again
    i'd not care about your opinion
    or perception
    my job sucks
    screw you

    which is the wrong attitude
    but after working a fast food counter
    and managing a video shop
    working a job where people yell at you for forgetting the cheese
    or complain the coffee went up 2 cents

    i'm not sure how you dilberts stay sane
    let alone employed!
  • kitykity
    This post makes me think of something very important I learned in Air Force Basic Training. Our TI (Training Instructor) didn't want to hear us complain. He didn't want to hear if something was wrong. That is, UNLESS we had a solution. We had to have a suggestion, no matter how crazy, to fix what the problem was. Without that suggest for a fix, what we were doing was complaining. I have applied that lesson to every facet of my life, and it really works well.
  • Hi Chris,

    I remember George Carlin saying something like, "Where would you be without one good rationalization every day?"

    My question is, "where would you be without one?" You know, living an UNreasonable life. Wow, what would that be like?

    Thanks for all your incredible posts, Chris.
  • McDonalds just illustrates my point, but think about that: if I got into their situation, that means I'm now engaged beyond what I want. As a customer, I just want the damned product. I don't need to know the story.

    I can CHOOSE to know the story, establish a relationship, etc. But maybe, I just wanted the product.

    That becomes the difference.
  • Did you tell the employees of McDonalds how their actions were being perceived?

    You might have received a free iced coffee because they would/should have been embarrassed.

    Wouldn't it have been great if you had your mini-video camera with you, and just video blog it on the spot?

    "I'm standing here in a McDonald's, simply stopped in for an iced coffee. Have a look on all the chaos taking place behind the counter!"

    pan to employees, running around, bitching and moaning.

    turn to next customer in line.

    "Hello sir, and what brought you in tonight?"

    response

    "I see, and how long do you think that it will be before you receive your order of fries and a small drink?"

    etc etc etc

    ;-)
    ymmv
  • Will
    Great advice! I've surely done my share of failing plus. However, the one thing you should never lose is your confidence. If you don't believe in yourself you will never accomplish any task. I hate to be a cliche' but you can fail tons of times, but it only takes one success to change your life.
  • Something related, useful I heard recently: don't let your reasons turn into excuses. There may be perfectly good reasons why something is (or isn't) a certain way in your life. But have you held onto those reasons too long? Have they become(inexcusable) excuses? Which of your reasons are ready for retirement? My example is stopping my yoga practice when I sprained my knee. Valid reason, until it was 2 months later, the knee was fine and the habit was not back...
  • Buy your ice coffee somewhere else. Mission accomplished.
  • 100% correct. it took me 10 years after failing college to figure it out though. (don't make the same mistake i did.)
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