The key to driving real change: Start talking 'outcomes'

Language is a funny thing. Most of us pick it up on our own as a child and spend our youth learning to harness it, yet few of us ever really master it.

Every so often though, we come across a new way to use language (from a family member, a colleague, or perhaps a mentor) that seems trivial but ultimately makes a big difference to how we interact with the world. For example:

• Using “when” not “if” projects confidence (even when you’re not actually sure) and provides your audience with a sense of assurance.
• Saying “we” instead of “I” fosters inclusion and shared accountability in team settings.
• Adding “yet” when someone (or your inner voice) tells you that you can’t do something helps to cultivate a growth mindset.

Here’s one to add to the list: using “outcomes” when dealing with change efforts.

Why outcomes matter

Change is inevitable, and the world is changing around us faster than ever before. From digital transformations to our collective responses to COVID-19, it seems like the future is running towards us. Technology adoption has been pushed forward by 3–7 years (McKinsey), and associated industries are projected to grow at 23% CAGR (Research and Markets).

But change efforts aren’t always successful. While there are of course multiple factors, one that’s often overlooked is that people often confuse outcomes with output. Studying hard and practising for weeks doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll end up with a new skill; going to the gym doesn’t automatically make you fit.

In a similar vein, organisations often do projects without achieving their original goals. According to McKinsey, some 70% of digital transformations fail, and only 16% of executives claim that their organisation’s efforts have successfully improved performance in the long term. The worst part? It all takes a toll on your people (i.e. change fatigue). From their perspective, all they see is disruption with no meaningful impact.

“Without strategy, execution is aimless. Without execution, strategy is useless.” — Morris Chang, CEO of TSMC

This is where a small shift in language can help. To paraphrase Max Planck: when we change the way we do things, the things we do change. Here are a few things you can try with your project team:

• When naming projects, include the desired outcome in the title, e.g. “Help customers find files faster” instead of “New document management system”.
• When running a meeting, talk about what the team has achieved / will achieve for stakeholders, instead of just how many tasks they did last week.
• When reviewing progress, reflect on which activities directly contributed to outcomes and which just took up time. When reviewing progress, reflect on which activities directly contributed to outcomes and which just took up time.