Defining Success

Chapter 3- Defining Success – Impact & Beyond

“A journey of 1000 miles begins with the first step.”– Lao Tzu
“A journey of 10,000 miles begins with the first step in the wrong direction.” - Richard Branton

Most leadership gurus will say that your first step on a project is determining the impact you want to make. We agree, we call these Intentions. No matter if you call them impact, objectives, goals, or intentions, this is where to start.

But is that the only thing to consider upfront?

What if you intend to make a lot of money? What keeps you from robbing a bank? Do you care about who else this impacts? Does the location or type of bank matter? Do any risks come to mind?

Okay, we don’t think you will be robbing a bank. Your mind likely filtered out other factors to keep you from taking this avenue to “make a lot of money”.

Ah ha, we have come to realize that defining success involves other elements, too. This is especially true when many parties are involved.

“A journey of 100,000 miles is many people going in different directions.”- Richard

So, what are the three other elements that are often overlooked in addition to ‘Intentions’? We call them Guiding Values, Focus, and Context. Consider this:

Richard and his wife Carolyn defined success for a small project during the pandemic.

Intentions

Enable Carolyn to be outside working with nature
Provide Carolyn with an activity to do with her granddaughter
Obtain fresh produce to cook

Guiding Values

Exercise and diversion are more important than the quantity of produce
Want it to be fun and educational for our granddaughter

Focus

Perspectives: Wife & Granddaughter primarily, Richard secondarily
Breadth: Small backyard plot and mostly easy-to-grow edible plants

Context

Carolyn is recovering from cancer treatments
Will be home a lot because of the pandemic
Assume we will only get a limited amount of produce, and we will still get groceries from the store

Can you see how important it is to define success considering all four elements? It helped set expectations for all parties involved. And they consensually decided to plant a vegetable garden!

Like everything we do, it is scalable. Whether planting a garden or starting a major re-engineering project, these four main elements should be captured up front. It can be scaled with precision depending on the type, size, and level of risk involved in the project.

For a small to mid-size project:

Intentions (Impact): The reason we are undertaking this effort is to __________________________.
Guiding Values: As we undertake this effort, we want to be guided by ________________________.
Focus: The breadth of this effort includes _______ & emphasizes perspectives of_____________.
Context: In planning, conducting, and determining the solution, we must be mindful of ______.

For larger, high-risk, or complex projects, here are more details of each element to consider:

Stakeholders: < it helps to identify all stakeholders to ensure their interests are represented>

Intentions:

Expected End Results (higher calling)
Effort Contribution (my responsibility)

Guiding Values:

Overarching
Tradeoffs

Focus:

Breadth (what it includes, excludes)
Depth (amount of detail needed)
Perspectives (primary stakeholders)
Universality (how long-lasting & vast)
Scope of Integration (other systems or processes need to integrate with)

Context:

Assumptions
Risks
Constraints
Issues, Latitudes
Opportunities
Facts, Definitions of Acronyms
Any other Factors important to know

Candidate Solutions, if any are mentioned, write it down and do not lose the idea, but don’t get locked into it. As you continue down “A Path to A Solution” other solution ideas will arise, too.

No matter what project you undertake, remember all elements of Defining Success.

Ricky’s Pecan Hasselback Sweet Potatoes

< Richard’s 1st Grandchild, Nasir, named him, “Ricky”. It stuck for all the grandkids!>

Intentions: Delight and surprise the family with this Thanksgiving vegetable dish
Values:Unique in presentation and flavor, but still fit in with holiday traditions
Focus: A vegetable dish that could meet the dietary needs of all family members
Context: It needs to be ready by 2:00 p.m. Thanksgiving. There will be 12 ‘mouths’ to feed.

Recipe below

Recipe: Ricky’s Pecan Hasselback Sweet Potatoes

Baked Potato Essential Pattern

Recipe: Hasselback Sweet Potatoes

Prep oven and baking dish

Preheat oven to 400°
Spray baking dish with vegetable cooking spray

Combine coating ingredients:

Fat*
Heat
Sweetener
Salt
Other flavoring

Combine the coating mixture in a large bowl:

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¼ cup butter, melted
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1 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes
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(or hot sauce)
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½ cup brown sugar
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1 tbsp kosher salt
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(Diamond, adjust qty if not Morton kosher: 1 ½ tbsp, Table Salt 2 tbsp)
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Black pepper to taste

Prep topping if using

Chop ½ cup peanuts

Prep garnishing if using

Zest a small orange

Prep the potatoes:

Clean
Style options:

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Whole in skin
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Whole peeled
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Whole wrapped
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Pieces

3 lbs. Sweet Potatoes
Scrub to clean
Slice into 1/8 thick rounds a mandolin really helps here

Prepare the potatoes for cooking (Pick One):

Whole in skin: coat with fat
Whole peeled: coat with fat and coating ingredients, reserving some for topping
Whole wrap: same as above, select:

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Wrapped in foil for outdoor cooking
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Parchment for oven
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Leaves such as banana leaves for grill or coal-covered.

Pieces:

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Coat with most of the coating mix

Arrange in a baking dish if using

Carefully mix the potatoes in the coating mixture bowl to coat the pieces without breaking the rounds
Arrange the pieces “vertically” in the baking dish loosely against each other
(Note: this arrangement is what makes it Hasselback).
Top with the chopped peanuts Top with 2 tbsp maple syrup
Cover with foil
Poke holes in foil to let

Bake until tender but with a little bite

Bake 45 mins
Remove foil
Bake 15 mins until tender

Garnish if using

Garnish with sea salt and orange zest

*Inspired by: Pecan Hasselback Sweet Potatoes from LouisianaCooking.com