If you want to allow your creativity to flourish, you must have an idea, write it down, and then let it expand and contract in proportion to your goal.
When I first teach a client to write a Successful Outcome for each project, I get some funny looks at first. Why is it in the past tense? Why do I need to write that? What if I just write a couple words to name the project instead?
Naming is a great start, but “project report” or “client relationship” are not nearly clear enough descriptions of your goal. You see, every project (which is anything with more than one step), is a mini-goal. You’ll have to treat it like one, too.
Why Every Project Needs A Successful Outcome
Here’s what I’ve observed about why Successful Outcome Thinking just plain works:
- You know when to check it off. Sorry for the blinding flash of the obvious.
- You’ll also know when not to check it off. I could have a project to “write about successful outcomes”, but if my SO is “wrote and published comprehensive blog post on use of successful outcomes referencing key thinkers in this area”, then I know when I’m not done yet. My goal, me, mine, specific-to-me is different from yours.
- Goals change. All the time. The scope of the project changes. The timeline changes. The purpose is not likely to change, but it does get clarified over time. Having it written out clearly will give you a magical ability to see those changes over time, inside yourself and in your team. This week I want to check off that I “wrote a solid blog post”, but next week I might be working on “published best-selling eBook on project success factors”. I have to review #1 to uncover #2.
- It facilitates getting the whole team aligned to the goal. Maybe I thought I was writing a solid blog post, but my co-author thought we were creating a cornerstone marketing piece. Hello, wake-up call. You must know what your desired outcome is before you can head confidently in that direction with other people engaged and involved.
- It allows you to envision your success. This means visualize in the broader sense, beyond the visual imagination and into taste, touch, smell, and kinestetic mind-sculpture. You need to experience your success before it manifests in the real world. Every time you review the successful outcome, it should evoke a feeling of success and completion. If it doesn’t, you can rewrite your SO, or you can reevaluate what you’re committing to and why.
So hopefully I’ve sold you just a little bit on the value of using this GTD best practice. If you’re ready to get started, or clean up your existing projects list, tomorrow I’ll be back with some tips on crafting a strong Successful Outcome for any project.
If you’re using Successful Outcomes to plan your projects, I would love to know – have you noticed a difference since you began doing this? What are the benefits?
