What is at stake?

Stake, tr. Verb. To risk; at stake. In jeopardy.

What is at stake? I have been thinking about this as we frame our future. What is it that allows for us to produce extraordinary results? While there are many contributing factors, perhaps the most important is the way we listen. Which leads to breakthrough thinking. Which leads to extraordinary action. Which leads to amazing results for our company.

For example, I would listen differently to a coach if I were training for an Olympic gold medal in speed skating than as an amateur spending an afternoon at the pond. Coaching makes a difference depending on how relevant or urgent or consequential I consider it to be – what I have at stake.

To maximize the results I produce, I must listen with something big at stake – something important enough to be worth the valuable time I am spending. I should ask myself, “If a real difference were possible here, in what area or on what issue or concern would I want an impact to be made?”

Everything we do matters. Every decision we make, every product or service we develop, every dollar we spend benefits our customers. Deviating from this focus could have real consequences. Let’s make an impact every day by focusing 100 percent on customer needs.

“Progress always involves risk; you can’t steal second base and keep your foot on first.” ~~Frederick Wilcox

" It's easier to focus on one number than it is to focus on a life." ~Seth Godin

Here is the context.

Measuring without measuring

 

As an organization grows and industrializes, it's tempting to simplify things for the troops. Find a goal, make it a number and measure it until it gets better. In most organizations, the thing you measure is the thing that will improve.

Colleges decided that the SAT were a useful shortcut, a way to measure future performance in college. And nervous parents and competitive kids everywhere embraced the metric, and stick with it, even after seeing (again and again) that all the SAT measures is how well you do on the SAT. It's easier to focus on one number than it is to focus on a life.

"The genius of leadership is its humanness and heart." ~Lolly Daskal

"The best advice that I can offer you is to learn the language of the C-Suite when making the case for what it is you believe is the right thing to do." ~Brian Solis