Focusing on Results in Effective Management

Only the results are important in management

A general pattern in the thoughts and actions of competent managers is their focus on results. They are primarily, sometimes exclusively, interested in results. Everything else is of secondary importance to them or does not interest them in the least. It's the results that count for them.

With regard to this first principle, it may be said that: Management is the profession of achieving results or obtaining results. The measuring stick is the achievement of objectives and execution of tasks.

This principle is not always important to the same degree. As long as results are relatively easy to achieve, perhaps due to a particularly favorable economic situation, management is not really under pressure and, in certain circumstances. Management may not even be necessary. Under such conditions this first principle is hardly used. Its application becomes necessary, useful and even urgent when results are not achieved automatically; when real effort is required.

Of course adherence to this principle does not mean that all targets will be achieved. To expect or presume such a thing would be naive. Even managers who have made the principle of focusing on results the foremost maxim for their actions suffer setbacks and must accept failures. However, they do not give up because of this, they do not resign and, above all, they are not satisfied with explanations and justifications.

A Self-Evident Fact?

It may occur to believe that this principle is a self-evident fact, that managers act accordingly to this principle in any case and that it therefore hardly needs to be mentioned. Unfortunately this is not the case. Ask managers the question: "What do you do in your company?" The answers will describe their actual work. This is only to be expected. Most will describe how hard they work, how much effort they put in, the amount of stress they are under and how much trouble they are going through. Only a minority will talk about results after they have described their work.

That would indicate that most people are more focused on input rather than output in their thinking and perception and perhaps, therefore, also in their actions. Working hard, making an effort, withstanding stress and so forth, are all important, of course. Without this, management would not work. However, this is all input. These are exactly the things that do not matter. What counts is the output.

Hence it should be assumed that people are, naturally of their own accord, focused on output. A human being is by nature not focused on output but, to a certain extent, focused on input.

Once the principle of focusing on results is taken seriously, and the world is viewed from this angle, it is remarkable how many people are always in a position to say - and also to justify very well - exactly what will not work, what is not possible, what is not functioning. That suggests that too much time is spent on this. Managers should direct their strengths, energy and attention to things that do work.

Misconceptions

As with all the other principles, this principle in itself has nothing to do with management style. Many manages find it surprisingly difficult to understand and accept this. The discussion on management style, which has dominated literature and training for decades, has made it almost impossible for many to differentiate between form and substance, outward characteristics and content. What could perhaps be a question of style is how we apply or express a principle. This can be done harshly. Roughly, or loudly; but this is probably not a very helpful style. We can also apply it quietly, kindly and in a friendly manner. This is another style, probably the better one. A focus on results has nothing to do with brutality, backbreaking work, or anything like that. This principle is found in every organisation that is well managed, in every one that achieves results.

There are two categories of results that are always to be found in every organisation. Firstly, there are results related to people, to their selection, promotion, development and deployment; and secondly results related to money, to the procurement and utilisation of financial resources.

Results must by no means be always and exclusively economic results. However as already mentioned: every organisation needs results. Organisations are established precisely for this reason and for this purpose.

Effective people do not question how much or how hard they work; they ask about the results. They care little if at all about their motivation but are very interested in the results. After working hard, they are just as tired and exhausted as the others are, but that does not satisfy them; they also want to know if anything