Action isn’t the same as progress

Action isn't the same as progress

I've written before that not taking action is an acceptable response to a question. That is, sometime it's better to leave things alone than to try to "fix" them.

A corollary to that rule is "Action isn't the same as progress."

Working with a client recently, they asked me "Which of these ideas should we implement?" Part of my response was "Whichever you prioritize, make sure you can make progress on these ideas. Not just take action. Because action and progress are not the same."

It reminds me of motivational posters I used to see in my children's elementary school: "Success is measured by effort." Um, no. Success is measured by achieving your goals. The amount of effort you make is actually irrelevant to measuring your success.

So don't confuse "action" with "progress." They're not the same.

Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives

How you respond matters

March 23, 2022

How you respond matters Very recently I wrote that I measure customer service by how […]

Your one non-renewable resource

March 16, 2022

Your one non-renewable resource For any project, the three primary resources are time, money, and […]

No system is perfect

March 9, 2022

No system is perfect When working with my clients on the selection of a new […]

Ask your members to update their info

March 2, 2022

Ask your members to update their info One of the greatest data management challenges any association […]

Customer vs. staff

February 23, 2022

Customer vs. staff In a properly designed AMS, when the customer goes online to your […]

Measuring customer service

February 16, 2022

Measuring customer service When I work with clients on AMS selection, one question that often […]

Iterate or innovate?

February 9, 2022

Iterate or innovate? When moving to a new association management system, there is often an implicit […]

Who is in control?

February 2, 2022

Who is in control? Speaking with a client once about their database project, the client […]

Sometimes Staff Has to do the Work

January 26, 2022

Sometimes staff has to do the work… As a child, I was attracted to computers […]

Documentation and the Great Resignation

January 19, 2022

Documentation and the Great Resignation Unless you’ve been living under the proverbial rock, you’ve heard […]

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top