D is for Done
ABC's of Achievement
What is “done”?
Before we start doing anything, we need to know what we want to achieve? What is our desired outcome? Too many times people get an assignment and off they go to work on it. Without thinking through what that endpoint is, much less how to get there.
When I work with people, I use the term “desired outcome”. It’s more descriptive of what it is we want to do - get a specific outcome. Not just any outcome. Defined outcome is a term I drill down on time and time again. Because it matters.
If you don’t know when something is done, you don’t how much to work, what equipment and talent is required for the work. How much money is that work going to cost?
If you cannot define “done” and how to measure it and you move forward, remember that moment. It could the end of a job, career, reputation, or worse. You could get lucky, but how comforting is that strategy if you fall into ruin?
Protect Your “Done”
A huge threat to achieving a desired outcome is scope creep. If done has not be defined, shared, and embraced people can add “little” additional tasks. And then some more. Maybe some big tasks.
Done never happens. It takes much longer and costs way more than envisioned when it was first proposed. For an entertaining look at scope creep, check out the movie satire “The Pentagon Wars” starring Cary Elwes and Kelsey Grammer showcasing a bloated effort to create what became the Bradley armored personal carrier.
Another common threat to “done”. People have different definitions for the same task or project. A manager thinks one thing. A team lead has a different definition, staff yet another definition and none of them align with the executive how created the project! Chaos breaks out and finger pointing begins.
Creating and using a desired outcome statement is your best defense against chaos and scope creep. If you are looking for clarity on determining your desired outcome statement, here is a process I share with my clients. Creating this statement is not enough. It must be embraced and used in making decisions and taking action. Resistors to this practice must be converted or removed from the activity.
Do you need to go through this process for every “done” you’re working on? No, mundane low-risk tasks can and should be knocked out quickly.
There are two flags which indicate you definitely need to have a clearly defined desired outcome. If your desire outcome significantly impacts people and/or money, go through the process to define your desired outcome. You get to define “significantly”. These are two areas (people and money) where a lack of understanding “done” can cause real damage to people and businesses.
Don’t sabotage yourself before you get going. Define you done. Define your desired outcome.
In “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” Dr. Stephen Covey framed this concept as beginning with the end in mind. This is not a new concept to humanity. But it is one that is often ignored and shunned for the perceived benefit of getting a task done more quickly. Or that it’s an unnecessary step.
Little “Dones” Add Up
Context and scope are also important factors when it comes to desired outcome. For all but the most simplest tasks, “done” requires a number of smaller victories.
Great things are done by a series of small things brought together. - Vincent Van Gogh
It can be tempting to cut out steps. Or at least overlook them. Then they are discovered during your task. This often leads to rework, wasted time, lost money, and frustration. Even outright failure.
One of the core principles of engineering is breaking big complex tasks into more smaller ones. This makes the work more manageable in effort and impact. When a task or subtasks breaks, it’s far easier to find it in an isolated group of work. Think through how you will achieve your desired outcome. The big steps and then the little steps necessary to finish tasks and subtasks.
Celebrating “Done”
When you get to “done”, recognize it! How common is it when something is completed to move on to the next project or task? With little or no acknowledgment of the contributions and work that went into achieving that goal? Maybe it’s a celebration lunch. A quick ceremony including teams, customers, and other groups involved with the work. Do something to mark this success. Bigger successes can merit more significant celebrations.
Don’t ignore done. They can be hard to come by. About two-thirds of business projects fail. Celebrate the wins.
Exercises
Thinking about your current goal, how many things do you still have to get done?
How will you know you are done with your goal?
When you are done with your goal, how do you plan on celebrating this achievement?
What steps can you take to avoid scope creep happening on your goal?