A Winning Formula

A few weeks ago, I was chatting with one of my mentors and expressing how unfamiliar life felt at the time: new routines, new pace and new ways of working when serving my customers.

He reminded me that my ‘winning formula’ has been interrupted. He meant that what I previously defined as ‘winning’, and how I measured those results, no longer fit the current context.

He had a point—which is why he is my mentor … ha!

I contemplated this and began to see a list of things that had fundamentally shifted for me:

• Four months ago, I was determined to only do yoga in a studio with the community. Now, I not only love my solo online yoga sessions but I am able to do more classes a week.

• Four months ago, I believed I couldn’t deliver most of my work programs online. I believed I needed to be in a room with people to create a connection. Now, I see the accessibility and flexibility available online and will only deliver in-room sessions for special occasions.

• Four months ago, I chose to work in an office, on a plane or in a café for at least 10 hours a day. I was working more than 50 hours a week. Now, I choose to work smarter and more focused with only four hours a day and from the comfort of my own home.

• Four months ago, my 12-month calendar was planned and set. I was committed to travel plans and new learning experiences. Now, I am reluctant to plan so far ahead. I am also choosing online learning experiences that I had never considered before and that I can do at my own pace—no schedule needed.

These few examples (and I could go on) slowly, subtly and perhaps unconsciously rewired my new winning formula for how I will choose to go about my life now and in the near future.

I took my mentor’s idea one step further. I thought different times produce different measures of success and part of redefining a new winning formula is detaching from old measures of success.

In my experience, I have had to let go and detach ideas and beliefs about what worked for me and what didn’t. I almost had to start again, to see, to learn and possibly to change my way of winning.

I share this with you because I assume (given that you read my blog) you are determined, goal- oriented and that you like the idea of winning in life—like I do. I write this blog in service to those of us who love feeling progress towards goals, projects and life, and who are still trying to make sense of our new definitions of success. I think it is a helpful frame for considering the winning formula in the context of serving employees and customers in work.

What do workplaces need to detach from to allow a new winning formula for happy employees?

What are the new measures of success for employee engagement, employee productivity and employee performance?

What do organisations need to detach from to allow a new winning formula for customer service?

What are the new measures of success for customer loyalty?
It’s tricky to add another layer of measures onto what you have always done in serving yourself, employees and customers. You have to give up some stuff, let go of some old things, ways and beliefs, and welcome in the new. What got you a win previously may not get you a win today.

But before you become confused, baffled and overwhelmed by what you and your team’s new winning formulas could be, start by looking at what you can ‘detach’ from as this will make space for the ‘new’ to thrive. It reminds me of a comment I recently heard Joel Osteen say, ‘You have to come to your closed doors before you get to your open doors’.

These recent times have caused many doors to close. I would not have chosen to close some of those doors, and yet by allowing and embracing the changes, it is pushing me to consider my new measures of success.