STREET DOGS

Dan Ariely tells a story: a locksmith is an apprentice, and unskilled at picking locks. It takes him a while to get people into their homes. His time and effort were evident, so clients tip well. As he becomes more skilled, he gets people into their houses quicker, with less effort. But his tips go down, because his skill makes it seem quick and effortless. Our perception of value is often not about what we’re getting, it’s about how much effort the other person is putting in. When skill is involved we get paid for incompetence. Our use of visible effort as a proxy for success means we pay for incompetence. We’re so focused on whether or not someone is trying hard, we don’t stop to check if they’re being effective or skilful. A for effort is truer than you think.

RESULTS VERSUS EFFORT

Effort is one of those things a lot of people get confused about unable to understand how anyone can be faulted for not getting the results that were expected when they put in 110% effort. People who under-deliver will often try to justify their poor results by effort exerted. “But we tried really hard,” they profess. “Do you know how much work went into this?”

Yes, effort is generally a precursor to results, but they are not the same thing. What gets measured gets improved, the old saying goes, which makes it essential to focus on results rather than effort. As Yoda put it, “Do or do not. There is no try.”

“I have been struck by how important measurement is,” said Bill Gates. “You can achieve incredible progress if you set a clear goal and find a measure that will drive progress toward that goal. This may seem basic, but it is amazing how often it is not done and how hard it is to get right.”