The story is
told, three masons were asked what they were doing.
The 1st one
said, “I am laying brick.”
The 2nd said, “I am building a wall.”
The 3rd said, “I am building a cathedral so
people will be in awe and have a place to worship.
Even a beautiful cathedral is not a success unless people come into it to worship.
How often do
we rush to complete an assignment and forget the impact it ultimately can have?
Managers, how
often do we ask others to do a task without explaining why it is important?
Technologists,
how often do we deliver a product that never gets used?
Success is having a positive impact,
not just
delivering a solution.
If you lead an impact-driven business, you and your team are focused on what is ‘success’. Yes, if you do your part well, that would be a personal accomplishment. But for a team relay race, success is winning the race, not just your leg of the race. It is about making an impact together.
It is an accomplishment to produce deliverables on time and within budget. That’s good. But do not fool yourself. If you are on time and budget and it still does not have a positive impact on the business, it is not a true success.
Make an impact and take it a step further into awe.
If a team has a common objective to achieve results, they can rally around it together. They will be more likely to give it their all and want to stay around to witness the impact.
It starts with changing our mindset. Every time you start a task, assign a task, or manage tasks, think of what impact it will have and what will be better than before if done successfully.
Richard’s family took it a step further with an annual” Family Awards Ceremony” giving special recognition to each child for making a specific positive impact. They would dress up in their finest clothes, give trophies, and have a ‘fine dining’ dinner including an awesome dessert!