What is your measuring stick?
What is the definition of success?
Ask around and find out what the true definition of success is, and you will likely always get more than one answer.
This notion is nothing new. We’ve seen it expressed in other ways for centuries. Ever heard this one: “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”? Same idea.
But why is that? It all comes down to values. We are all human, and we are all driven by different things, and to different degrees than one another. What drives us to act not only dictates our culture (shoutout to Chris Butler for that one), but it draws our attention to be of a singular focus more often than not. It is this singular focus that leads to people feeling like they “gel” with one another or “couldn’t be farther from” one another in mindset.
Is this actually a problem?
No, not in my opinion. In the scope of existence, it is good that some focus on driving one metric of success while others focus on another. In a way, a well-coordinated smattering of success goals can sometimes lead to better outcomes for a society than a single vision might (see history for examples of this), if that vision is clouded or otherwise misguided. That said —- a difference of perspective on what is the true definition of success can spell disaster when engaged in business.
‘Give good things to your audience, expect good things in return’
Why is that?
Imagine you are an agency working for a client. The client wants you to design a logo that redefines their visual brand and echoes the client’s new direction to their customers. The client has gone from
If you have a different measure of success than your audience, you are not really audience-centric.
In my opinion, revenue is not a metric of success, it is a byproduct of success. If we are describing a purpose-driven organization, the vision is the ultimate goal. Very few purpose-driven organizations mention the idea of making money in their vision statements. Why? Because statements about money are yucky in the eyes of most. Is revenue a necessary thing? Of course. This is not a post designed to dissuade people from exchanging legal tender for goods and services. You should reap what you sow.
We sow far more than money in business, though. We sow “vibes”, as gen Z might say (no tomatoes, please — pardon the levity). We sow good will. We sow trustworthiness. We sow loyalty.
‘Give good things to your audience, expect good things in return’ — is the idea here.
I have a faith that teaches this same concept. ‘Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.’
Now, if that is true, and I give bad things, what should I expect in return? Not good things, let’s just say that. Now, someone may choose to repay your selfishness with kindness, but that is likely not the primary response you would get.
Why is this scary? Because we feel the need to “make” things happen. We feel the need to own everything in our businesses. But we do not own the audience’s response. Trying to do so is akin to manipulation —- and is that really what we want our businesses to be about?