Process Vs Outcome – Enjoy the Journey And Also Get The Right Results

 ‘Bhaiyya, Rahul heard his favorite sportsmen saying ‘focus on the process and the results will take care of themselves,’ said Rinku. ‘Ever since he’s studying at his own pace and getting poor marks.’

‘But I’m enjoying the process yaar,’ asked Rahul. ‘Marks will take care of themselves.’

 ‘The idea of focusing on the process is also to get the right results,’ smiled Rakesh. ‘It doesn’t mean we ignore results. Right processes get the right results. One leads to the other. Not one at the cost of the other.’

‘But how will focusing on process improve results bhaiyya?’ asked Rinku. ‘We should focus on results to improve results right? The fear of bad results makes us study harder.’

‘When we focus on results– marks, winning, performing etc – we put unhealthy pressure on the outcome, on ourselves,’ explained Rakesh. ‘This extra pressure, and fear, interferes with our execution in exams and we don’t achieve desired results as often or as easily. Worse, we don’t enjoy the process and at times, resort to unhealthy shortcuts to get results. We miss the purpose i.e. gaining critical knowledge of our subjects though we may end up with marks. So, we neither enjoy the process nor get desired outcomes by focusing on results.’

‘How does focusing on the process help?’ asked Rinku.

‘When we focus on the process we focus on what’s important,’ said Rakesh. ‘The process for studying could be - choosing right timings, organizing and planning schedules, perfecting specific topics, getting help, getting proper rest, eating healthy, following right routines etc – all aimed at developing a robust process in line with gaining knowledge, which can be sustained over a lifetime. Each day of engaging with this learning and improving process becomes a winning outcome in itself, which makes learning enjoyable and a growing experience. And when we approach exams as an extension of this process, we end up gaining knowledge of the subject and also getting better marks. It’s a healthy, long lasting system. Not a temporary quickfix. That’s why we focus on the process.’

‘But what if I’m enjoying studying and gaining knowledge at my own pace?’ said Rakesh. ‘Why do I need results?’

‘Your results will show whether your process is right or not,’ said Rakesh. ‘Treat your results as feedback. If you aren’t getting good results, look at your process. The right process delivers both – an understanding of your subject and consequently, better performance in exams. If not, your process needs to be looked at and adjusted it to get the right results – knowledge and marks.’

 ‘Thanks bhaiyya,’ said Rahul. ‘Now I know how to enjoy the process and also get the right results.’

Pro tip: To enjoy the journey and get the best outcomes, focus on your process. Use your results to calibrate and adjust your process until you get the right outcomes.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Psychological Safety - The Secret to Building Champion Teams

‘Bhaiyya, we’re got great talent on our debate team but we’re not performing,’ said Rinku. ‘How to build the perfect team?’ ‘Google did a 2-year study called Project Aristotle on what makes the best teams tick,’ said Rakesh. ‘It could help.’ ‘Wow,’ said Rahul. ‘What did they find?’ ‘They found five characteristics common to high performing teams,’ said Rakesh. ‘They’re ‘impact’ – where team members feel their work has positive impact, ‘meaning’ - where team members feel their work is meaningful,   ‘structure and clarity’ - clarity in goals, roles and execution plan, and ‘dependability’ - where members believe they can depend on each other to deliver their part. But it’s the fifth that’s most important. The other four almost don’t matter if it’s missing.’ ‘What’s that bhaiyya?’ asked Rinku. ‘Psychological safety,’ said Rakesh. ‘Do your team members feel safe enough to speak up, take moderate risks, without feeling insecure? Do they feel they can be vulnerable in front of peers
Read more

The Leadership Series - The Who of Leadership - People Represent Potential

 ‘So, what’s next?’ said Rinku looking at her notebook. ‘We’re all set to go – goals, roles, vision all in place.’ ‘Great,’ said Rahul. ‘’Now I hopeour team members do their best.’ ‘This is the most important aspect of your leadership,’ said Rakesh laughing. ‘People management. So don’t hope. How you manage people becomes the biggest diffrentiator for the leader.’ ‘Why bhaiyya? Won’t people deliver according to their capabilities?’asked Rinku. ‘No Rinku,’said Rakesh. ‘People are not like machines. They don’t deliver one standard. If you handle a person right she will go way beyond what sheis required to do. On the other hand, if you do not know how to handle them,people will work without any interest and enthusiasm. You may have the best systems and recruited the best resources, but if you do not know how to handle people on your side, your effort will fall flat.’ ‘That’s interesting?’ said Rinku. ‘So if they are handled right, people deliver much more than they normally do.
Read more

The Leadership Series - The Window and Mirror Approach

 ‘I’m upset with our Students Union President Ankita,’ said Rinku. ‘She’s taken all credit for the work I did for the student festival.’ ‘True,’ said Rahul. ‘She takes credit when go things well even if she hasn’t done anything and blames others when things go wrong. Reminds me of today’s politicians. No responsibility, only credit.’ ‘But that cannot be the right way to lead right?’ asked Rinku. ‘You’re right,’ said Rakesh. ‘Most leaders take all credit so they can project a larger than life image of themselves. On the other hand they bring others down by misinterpreting facts so they look better In comparison. But it’s an insecure way of leading. A good leader shares credit with the team and takes responsibility when things go wrong.’   ‘What’s the right way then bhaiyya?’ asked rinku. ‘Taking credit and blaming others seems to be the popular modus operandi.’ ‘Yes,’ smiled Rakesh. ‘It is paradoxical – but as we all know, a leader can lead well only when she is not afraid of
Read more