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Results-Driven

Author: Devmountain Tutorials

what's covered
In this lesson, you will learn how to recognize evidence that someone is results driven. Specifically, this lesson will cover:

Table of Contents


1. What Does It Mean to be Results-Driven?

Let’s go back to the example of Amanda taking initiative. It takes initiative to send the email to the developer, but she also had to stay results-driven and focus on the outcome to make sure the issue was really fixed for the customers. You’ve got a goal, and you’re willing to do what it takes to complete the task in a way that you will truly be proud of. So just sending off the issue and forgetting about it doesn’t count!

Part of the results-driven skill is understanding your approach to reaching a goal. It’s helpful to have a growth mindset, which means that you’re confident you can develop specific abilities as you need them (like creating a hypothesis for why the software isn’t working). A positive outlook will help you commit to practicing something new and will help you get past the hurdles you’ll face along the way. It will also help you pick yourself up and try again when things don’t go your way. And, practicing your productivity skill can help you stay results-driven by allowing you to create a plan and prioritize the tasks you need to reach your goal.

big idea
To start honing your results-driven skill, try these simple tips while keeping your end goal in mind:
  • Before making a decision, consider all the available options and make a thoughtful choice.
  • Balance urgency and quality, understanding that each project needs to be completed quickly but also with integrity.
  • Work efficiently and maximize your time.
  • Stay focused and don’t get sidetracked by other, less important tasks.
  • Be resilient and stick with it in the face of challenges.
  • Measure your work. Use data when possible to track and report results.
  • Take pride in your accomplishments.

"Do or do not. There is no try."
Yoda, Jedi Master

term to know
Results-Driven
The ability to act with a sense of urgency and focus to reach outcomes and goals, without compromising integrity and quality.


2. What Does Results-Driven Look Like in the Workplace?

The results-driven skill is essential in any career. Today’s employees are required to complete their tasks while being flexible and responsive to changes that happen along the way. Being results-driven helps professional teams stay successful since they are always focused on achieving their goals. And, it can also help you reach success as you strive for personal goals outside of school and work (Do, 1).

EXAMPLE

At Poodle Jumper, we put an emphasis on outcomes versus output. This means we don’t necessarily care how much work you do; we care about what impact your work has. We do this by measuring the results of individuals, teams, products, and the organization as a whole. We report on the product and organizational key performance indicators (KPIs), every week to know if we are getting better or worse. Because we measure what matters, it is easy to know if we are succeeding or not. If your organization doesn’t do this, you can start by trying to measure the impact of your work.

think about it
Think about a time when you were driven to achieve something. What challenges did you face? How did you overcome them? How did you know you achieved it? Whatever the details were, you can use that hustle, that “git ’er done” spirit, in your career to take initiative and stay results-driven.

summary
This lesson explored what is means to be results driven, which is to act with a sense of urgency and focus to reach outcomes and goals without compromising integrity and quality. This is a crucial skill in any career as it helps individuals and teams stay focused on achieving their goals while remaining flexible and responsive to changes that occur along the way. To develop this skill, one should balance urgency and quality, work efficiently, stay focused, be resilient, and take pride in their accomplishments. Measuring and tracking results is also important in determining success in the workforce.

Source: This tutorial was authored by DEVMOUNTAIN and Sophia Learning. Please see our Terms of Use.

Attributions
Terms to Know
Results-Driven

The ability to act with a sense of urgency and focus to reach outcomes and goals, without compromising integrity and quality.