Final Thoughts on Delivering Results

Peter’s dilemma, described at the beginning of this chapter, shows what it is like to be on the receiving end when employees are focused simply on getting by, rather than on delivering results. The managers’ ambivalence toward their work made his job more difficult and made their continued employment questionable.

In a corporate environment that is shifting from “do something, even if it’s wrong” to “do what is best,” delivering results that count is critical. You can carry out the activities covered by your job description and you can follow the recommendations in your performance evaluation to the letter, but until you identify what must be done and how it must be done (technically and behaviorally), when you do it doesn’t really matter.

Know how your boss and your company define “results,” then go a step further: How can you deliver the best results ever? How can you add value to your boss, your company, and yourself, while still maintaining balance in your life? Focus first on the what, then on the how, and only then on the when.