In 2023, I began working with a new executive coach at Path for Growth, and the most powerful tool my coach Kyle has taught me about is the success statement. Success statements are clear, measurable descriptions of what it looks like to achieve a goal. They are written in plain language and so clear that even a fifth grader would understand what counts as a win.
3 Reasons Success Statements Have Been Powerful
Success statements help me get clear on what winning looks like.
Writing success statements, whether for myself or my team members, helps clarify exactly what we need to achieve to be successful. For example, in writing success statements for our VP of Operations, there were two important quality metrics I wanted us to focus on: external quality (or external ppm) and internal quality (internal ppm). While our external quality meets standards, our internal defect rate was too high – suggesting we rely too heavily on inspection to catch problems. My goal is to shift our mindset from catching defects to preventing them entirely, embracing a “zero-defect” standard.
Instead of writing one general success statement about quality, I wrote two different ones. For our operations to succeed, our internal and external quality must be world-class. That is the expectation, and it was clear to our VP of Operations and me.
Success statements help align the leader to the follower and the follower to the leader.
Continuing with our example from above, I presented the success statements to our VP of Operations. This was not a mandate but a discussion—he could push back or suggest an alternative measurement. That doesn’t mean I’ll never mandate a success statement—some things like “zero recordable accidents” are non-negotiable—but I like to be open to making changes to these success statements to help gain buy-in. The goal of success statements is for everyone to be on the same page when it comes to defining success — and that’s why I am open to some debate about what winning looks like.
Success statements also have to be achievable. “Zero recordable accidents,” for example, is an achievable metric, but “never having one single plastic part on the floor” isn’t achievable today — though it is my vision for tomorrow! But things like measuring internal ppm and driving a zero-defect mindset will help us on the journey to that vision. And I am happy to report that our VP of Ops and I are aligned on our goal. How do I know? Because we did this exercise together!
Success statements help evaluate how things are going in real time.
Since this topic deserves a deeper exploration, I’ll dedicate my next blog post to it entirely. Stay tuned! In the meantime, I want to challenge you with these questions:
What does success look like for your role?
Do you have clarity, and are you aligned with your leader?
Conversely, are you clear and aligned with those you lead?