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We're not sure what success looks like

By
Mukund Kabra

Without a clear definition of success, every result can be read as good or bad. Write down the outcome you want, the number that shows it and the target before work starts, and agree it across the team.

Category:
Execution
Reading time:
2
min read
Published on:
October 24, 2026
Resources
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Execution
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We're not sure what success looks like

We're not sure what success looks like

Problem

Projects end, and nobody can say whether they worked.

Goals are described in general terms: grow faster, improve engagement, strengthen the brand. When results come in, people read them differently, and the debate never ends.

Without a shared definition of success, nothing is ever clearly a success.

Insight

Success has to be defined before the work, not after.

A clear outcome, a specific measure and a target agreed up front make results easy to judge and decisions easy to make. Defining it afterwards invites bias.

It also helps teams choose between options, because the goal is clear.

How we approach it

We define success before the work starts.

  1. We agree the outcome each initiative should deliver and the number that will show it.
  2. We set realistic targets based on your current baseline.
  3. We review results against those targets and decide next steps.

Everyone knows what good looks like, and when it has been reached.

Tags:  
Growth Misalignment Diagnosis; Leverage Points; metric-to-outcome Mapping; Systemic Alignment; Focus Strategy; Effort Vs Impact
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