Product @ LinkedIn | LinkedIn Learning Instructor | Lifelong Learner | I read so you don't have to!
How are you measuring impact? In my own career, I have found this is one of the hardest things to do: naming what success looks like. We’re afraid of naming a specific target (ie revenue, engagement, etc) because what happens if we don’t hit it? Many are familiar with OKRs—Objectives and Key Results—and we’re really good at defining the Objective. But too often we don’t define the Key Result. How will we know we’ve succeeded? If we don’t name a specific goal, we can always convince ourselves that we’re working hard—even if we’re not making any real progress. When you fill your day with objectives, you’re busy doing things. You feel productive. But you may not be getting anywhere. You may not be moving forward. You likely aren’t having impact. If you set Key Results, you can also silence your critics by pointing to what you’ve accomplished: we increased revenue 45%, we reduced churn 12% etc. Take a moment and ask yourself — what does success look like? Are you getting closer to that or are you just spinning wheels?
Community Planning Fellow | Urban Development & Sustainability
1moI am not going to click on the auto-response buttons but instead transcribe them 🙂 , because this is a great perspective that makes total sense and gets us thinking. My only add is that I've found the art of applying "slower" thought has come with time, experience, and ultimately, confidence. It's a great place to be, and I plan to apply this practice to as many future projects as time permits. Thanks so much for sharing!