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

Data Management Strategy

January 12, 2022

Data Management Strategy Do you know what your data management strategy is? If you have […]

It’s always about trust

January 5, 2022

It’s always about trust When I work with clients on almost any data management project, […]

You can’t outsource buy-in

December 16, 2021

You can’t outsource buy-in One factor consistent with all of my most successful projects is […]

Use it or lose it!

December 8, 2021

Use it or lose it! I’m referring here to the data you collect. If you […]

“If I could only do one thing…”

December 1, 2021

“If I could only do one thing…” Managing data throughout your organization can be overwhelming. Do […]

Gratitude

November 24, 2021

Gratitude As Thanksgiving in the US approaches, I’m reminded of the importance of gratitude, in […]

“It’s more than I have, but less than I want.”

November 17, 2021

“It’s more than I have, but less than I want.” “It’s more than I have, […]

Don’t forget Parkinson’s Law

November 10, 2021

Don’t forget Parkinson’s Law “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its […]

Just Respond

November 3, 2021

Just Respond Growing up my father used to tell my many siblings and me that […]

People fear uncertainty, not change

October 27, 2021

People fear uncertainty, not change If you’ve ever worked on any big project that was […]

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.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

Scroll to Top