3 Consequences of Not Focusing on Outputs

In my last blog, I talked about Why The Best Leaders Are Doers, Not Talkers. I explained that Doers are focused on outputs, which is one reason why Doers are the best leaders.

Now that you understand the importance of focusing on outputs, I want to share with you the unpleasant consequences of being a leader who does not focus on outputs.

Although this is a short (and not so sweet) list of only three consequences, don’t underestimate the length of the list. Most leaders, whether they are intentional about focusing on outcomes or not, are guilty of falling into at least one of these consequences on a regular basis.

 3 Consequences

1. You miss what’s most important.

   • If you are someone who is not focused on outputs, you are going to miss what is most important. You will end up missing the most important goals, numbers, projects, and events if you don’t take the time to outline your desired outputs. 

   • You're going to miss whatever it is you're working towards as a team or as an individual because you will be focused on the wrong things.

2. Revenue goals at risk.

   • You will put the goals of the organization at risk. Without a focus on outputs, your organization has no clear objectives. Without objectives, the whole mission is at risk.

3. Are you in the right seat?

   • I’ll say it. This one is awkward. But ultimately, you have to ask yourself, “Am I in the right seat?” Whether you ask this or not, someone else will. This question will be prompted when you (or others) notice that you are failing to focus on outputs. 

   • If you're not someone who is focused on delivering outputs, it is possible you need to reevaluate the leadership role you are in. If you want to be an effective leader, outputs have to be on your attention dashboard. 

I don’t know about you, but in my personal experience I have chosen to disregard outputs when the outputs aren't very good. If the numbers aren't tracking well, or the goal isn't on pace, I have a tendency to shift my attention to things that are less important.

This is what I have learned. The right thing to do when outputs aren’t good is to actually spend more time talking about the outputs. It is crucial to build a no-surprises, candid culture, which lets your team know, “Hey, we're falling behind. What can we do to catch up?”

Focusing on outputs is the first principle of good management. Don’t forget Andy Grove’s words, who said that “The #1 role of a manager is to produce more results with the same or less resources.”

MT

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