Getting Results

“Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to is.” 
Arnold Palmer

I just finished re-reading The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni and I was struck again by the simpleness and the power of what I perceive to be the main message of the book.  And that main message is results.

We are on this earth in one way or another to produce results.  Really, that is our purpose and though the results we may be trying to produce are different from person to person, ultimately, we are judged by them.  The author points this out in regards to a team achieving results and notes that one of the main dysfunctions of a team is an “inattention to results”.  I believe the same applies to our personal lives.  One of the main problems that causes dysfunction, a lack of success, and discord or unhappiness in life is our inattention to results.

This fact is a little scary to most of us.  Many of us want to pretend that results really don’t matter that much.  Whether it is because we believe we really can’t control them, we are afraid to put forth the effort, or fear disappointment and regret if we don’t achieve them, we all seem to find reasons not to believe results are that important.  I believe however, when we accept this fact, and embrace this truth, though we may not always produce the results we desire, our results in the end will be so much greater than if we had ignored this fact.  Results are really what matter in life. 

Now you may be saying, now wait a minute, what kind of results are we talking about here, and that is a great question.  The results I am talking about probably vary some from one person to another but examples that encompass many of us include a happy home life, a positive contributor to society, a successful marriage, a productive and worthwhile career, strong family relationships, and good friendships.  These are some examples and our results in things that matter most to us in life is really all that matters.

We can pretend results are not that important and we came blame lots of things for our poor results.  Doing so in many ways is much easier than taking responsibility for and focusing on them.  In the end though, working toward results will bring more satisfaction and joy in life.    

So let’s not live a dysfunctional life by our “inattention to results.”  Let’s take our results seriously!  Let’s embrace the fact that results matter and then do all we can to produce the results we desire.  Life will certainly have its twists and turns that will be out of our control and will impact our results however, our attention to and efforts toward achieving the results we desire will bring great satisfaction, success, and happiness in life. 

Bees and Wasps

I’m sure many of us have heard the story of the bee and the wasp before but if not, here is a quick reminder. 

“There once was a great debate in the forest about a store of honey that had been found in a hallow tree.  A wasp claimed that it positively belonged to him while a bee was just as sure the treasure was his.  The animals of the forest knew it had been created by a winged creature that made a loud buzzing sound but that seemed to fit the description of both parties.  Finally, the wise old bee suggested that to end the debate, each should create their own new honey comb in order to determine to whom the honey really belonged.  The wasp protested loudly but the animals agreed this was a good idea.  Soon the truth was discovered of who made the disputed honey comb and who could not have made it.”

I enjoy this story because it teaches an important lesson in life.  Our preparation in life and who we are is a result of what we do.  Often people try to pretend to be something they are not.  They claim to be this or that, hoping people will not realize the truth about them.  They fail to make the necessary sacrifices to truly be what they claim.  The fact is we can do just about anything we claim if we want however it requires patience, hard work, commitment, and “sweat equity”.  We cannot be a great scientist overnight without long hours of study and work, we cannot be a superb pianist without years of practice, we cannot be a man full of integrity while living a life full of deception, we cannot be a goal achiever if we don’t ever set goals, we cannot be a good parent without spending time with our children, we cannot be a great person if all we do is worry about our own self interests.  Too often people try to be or profess to be something they are not.  To “make honey”, it takes hard work and time. 

In more religious language, we read in the Bible that “by their fruits ye shall know them.”  What are our fruits?  What are we producing or what do we have to show that indicates who we are?  For example, the bee’s honey shows hard work and dedication to the project.  And he had been putting forth that effort all his life so he knew he could easily reproduce it where the wasp knew he couldn’t.  Many want to believe they are “making honey” when the truth is they are not because they are not involved in honey making activities.  Or, like the wasp, they try to claim and take credit for someone else’s work.  And all of us probably fall in to this trap in some aspect in our life.  So the challenge for us today is to do those things that will bring forth good fruits.  Be involved in those things that will make honey.  It won’t be easy and will require effort, sacrifice, and dedication but the honey will be worth it in the end.  Good luck!