Quality ingredients add up
Aptitude + initiative + discipline x results = opportunity and reputation
There is no universal formula for success (though, as the saying goes: the harder I work the luckier I get). And, back in school, Mathematics definitely lost me the first day algebra came along – but let’s see if we can make this work…
1. Aptitude, Initiative and Discipline
I’m not going to sit here and say that I am talented, though, during the course of my career, I’ve come to realise that I have a natural aptitude for delivery. Conversationally, I refer to it - in myself and others - as “a delivery orientation”. It’s not essential but it sure helps: having a basic feel for what you are doing. In any field.
But, no matter what we may call it, aptitude alone is not enough.
I talk with a lot of graduates. Apart from telling them that their careers will go really fast (kind of a “grandad” observation, but it’s true), I tell them to use their initiative, to do things well and to always do today’s work today. And I ask them to ask themselves what they stand for. And then…to focus.
Initiative stands out. Younger professionals in my field impress me when they take the initiative to try something new or to create something - an agenda for the next team meeting, a discussion paper for the working group, or a sketched plan for review.
Doing things well is firstly personal: you have to be happy with it. Sure, there’s executives and committees and boards who will judge your work in this field but, even if they don’t agree with your view on something, they will usually acknowledge the work - if it’s credible.
You’ll never have enough time. And, in a project, the schedule is finite and it will get away from you one day at a time. Every day matters and so you need to do today’s work today. New York Yankees former Captain and now Hall of Famer, Derek Jeter, famously said “It doesn’t take any talent to play hard.”
And, you need to stand for something. Think of the corporate leaders you admire - I’m sure one aspect you admire about them is the active demonstration of their beliefs. Maybe it’s the advancement of others, or putting the customer first, or making deadlines. You need to choose what you stand for, and you’ll likely become uniquely known for it. Among mine is that I like to finish meetings on-time. For me, it’s simply a demonstration of respect to all participants but – you know what? – it’s called out on every farewell card I get upon finishing assignments.
I’ve been fortunate to have a long relationship with The Juilliard School for the performing arts in New York. I never studied there but I’ve sponsored young artists who do. On face value, this is a field totally unlike my own - but I’ve learned so much about what we each have in common. And chief among them are discipline and focus.
Visiting the rehearsal rooms at Juilliard is such an incredible, energising experience. Drama students will be “in-character” and be unaware of your presence as they strive to channel their character and perfect their performance. Music students deep in rehearsal seem at one with their instrument; from Juilliard’s collection of Steinway pianos and Stradivarius violins. And, behind every transcendent dance performance you may have seen on stage, there are hours – years! – of technique, sweat and repetition unseen in the studio.
We all need to focus on what we are trying to do. Over in the sports world, we sometimes hear it called “getting in the zone”. Even if you work long hours, the work day is not your whole day - I contend you will be better able to compartmentalise your day, and be more productive at work, if you make the effort to “get into the zone” as you approach your desk. It follows that you get out of your zone again when you’re done for the day - don’t take as long as I did to learn this lesson (“always on” is not sustainable).
A little humility and gratitude go a long way too. Every dance class at Juilliard features a live pianist. And, at the end of the class, every dancer files past the piano and personally thanks the pianist for playing for them. That’s really stuck with me.
2. Results and Opportunity
It’s self-evident but I’m going to say it here anyway: we’re in the business of delivering outcomes. It follows that if we keep delivering outcomes, we will keep being asked to deliver more outcomes - and thus be given more opportunities to do so.
I say this to peer practitioners a lot and, at one level, it’s really as simple as that.
Now, of course, my thesis here in Beyond the Gantt is that it’s also about how you do what you do. In fact, all other things being equal, it’s very much about how you do things in terms of separating one practitioner from another. Think about the last time you either interviewed a candidate - or were the candidate - for a role. Your track record, though obviously important, speaks for itself: the conversation is about how you do it - consistently.
But, your ticket to play starts with delivery to expectations, one project at a time.
Some practice points I use include:
Know your sponsor. The best programs and projects I’ve led are the ones where I have had real affinity with my sponsor / business owner: what they are trying to achieve, why and what is most important to them in how. In particular, share their “why” with your team.
State what “done” looks like. I mentioned this one in my previous post. Projects are finite undertakings. Join me and keep vocalising it!
Empower the team. I’m not shy of hard work - but I can’t do it all myself. The other thing I’ve learned over the journey is that your project participants want to do what they each do in their roles and contribute to the outcome. So…let them and help them do so. Lead and orchestrate.
Do today’s work today. Mentioned above. You can call it Earned Value if you prefer, but this is what I call it. Set the tone.
Manage your risks. We all want to walk the Green path - but no worthwhile endeavour is without risk and so the Amber path can be abided too. But: don’t just list the risks and talk endlessly about them - manage them.
3. Reputation
As for reputation, in my view it’s simply the accumulation of what you have achieved and how you have gone about it. Even then, you can take care of each of these aspects but your reputation is never wholly within your control: the market ultimately determines what it is - particularly the people you’ve worked with and for.
As well as the above, there’s two things about reputation that I try to remember:
You only lose your integrity once. Perhaps the best, and certainly the most enduring, thing my late father taught me about business.
People who care feel things. The message being: take care with your passion - you may indeed be a scorching intellect but people can get burned.
And so, across these last six posts, this is what I know about excellence.
As I declared at the outset, I’m motivated - and moved - by excellence. No matter if this is or isn’t exactly what you would yourself say about it, I commend excellence to you as a principle. Learn to recognise, own and apply it. You will gain a lot of fulfilment from it and your example will differentiate you.
APW.