Many people make the mistake of confusing their performance results with the trophy and their goal. Let me explain.
One of my favorite actresses is the legendary Meryl Streep. She has more Academy Award nominations than any other person in the history of planet earth — a total of 18 nominations.
She was nominated for her first Academy Award in 1978. Her most recent one was in 2013.
If you consider a nomination a kind of “trophy,” she is the most “trophied” person in Hollywood.
That is remarkable.
Unlike many actors or actresses who essentially play the same kind of character from one film to another, Streep’s performances are so different from one film to another.
I’ll never forget the time I saw her in The Devil Wears Prada. In one of the opening scenes, Streep gets off the elevator and walks to her office to sit down. Without saying a single word — merely raising an eyebrow, walking a particular way, and looking at people in an ever so specific way, she conveyed an entire character’s backstory.
My words can’t do it justice. She is just that good.
When you listen to in-depth interviews of Streep, it quickly becomes clear that she is so heavily devoted to delivering the best possible PERFORMANCE.
Meryl Streep first met her co-star Anne Hathaway on the film The Devil Wears Prada. She introduced herself and told Anne how much she looked forward to acting across from her. She then explained (and apologized) that she would be “in character” 24×7 for the next 5 months.
In other words, even during filming breaks, at lunch, going to the restroom… she would be doing all of these activities as her character in the film (even when the camera was not on).
It was only after the very last take that the real Meryl Streep re-emerged.
She explained she needed to eat, sleep, and breathe as her character day and night in order to deliver the best performance possible.
When you see how Streep approaches her work, it’s clear that her GOAL is not the trophy. Her GOAL is the PERFORMANCE.
This may sound like semantics, but the distinction is profoundly important.
Here’s why.
A trophy is a byproduct of the performance. When you focus on the trophy, you end up focusing on the wrong thing and you often do not get it. When you focus on the performance and do it well, often the trophy comes along with it.
When you look at your goals, are you focusing on performance or the trophy?
When CIBs write me saying they want to get a job offer from MBB, that job offer is the trophy. The performance is the case interview.
When my clients say they want to earn $1 million, $5 million or $10 million per year, those are trophies. The “performance” comes from finding some way to deliver enough value to other people that they gladly transfer $1 million, $5 million, or $10 million to you in exchange for the value you deliver.
Streep and other actresses who routinely work on improving their performance express dismay that many younger actresses today have a goal of being rich and famous.
They argue it’s the wrong focus. Fame and fortune are byproducts of being really good at what you do — in their case, delivering exceptional acting performances.
As you look at your own goals, I challenge you to question them critically.
Are you focused on the promotion (the trophy)? Or massively over-delivering what’s expected of you (the performance)?
Are you focused on making partner at MBB (the trophy)? Or delivering overwhelming value to your clients and your firm (the performance)?
While performance and trophies are correlated, the R-square is not 1.0 — it’s not perfect.
Sometimes whether or not you get a trophy depends on the subjective decision making of someone else — an external factor not within your control.
To create a career or life goal that depends upon the whim of someone else is a tough and anxiety-filled way to live.
But, to focus on delivering the best possible performance that YOU are capable of is entirely within your control.
Deliver outstanding performances consistently enough in the right circumstances, over a long enough period of time, and the trophies will come your way (in aggregate but not necessarily in any one specific instance).
In your life and career, are you focused on trophies or performance?
That’s my thought of the day.
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31 thoughts on “Performance, Trophies and the Goal”
Excellent article, Victor.
Feeling under control is very important for happiness in life. And very rightly said that it can never happen when OUTCOME is our goal that may depend upon external factors. Instead, make performance the GOAL not the end result. Focus on ACTIONS rather than OUTCOME. Performance requires hard work, deliberate planning and effort to continuously improve our skills to gain competitive advantage as you have highlighted earlier. It’s interesting to see how it all fits in together.
I somehow feel that skill building is the MOST important asset because only then we can create value for others and live the life we want. What’s your thoughts on this?
Ankur,
I do think skill building is a very important asset. I don’t think it is the only asset and may not be the most important one. I’d have to think about it. I could make a case the love, compassion, kindness, trust among other virtues are as if not more important than skills. A child is not skilled, but it’s hard to imagine a child not possessing a wealth of “assets”.
-Victor
I have a brother who always remind me to focus on contribution. He says, “Focus on YOU CONTRIBUTION. No need to focus on YOUR ACHIEVEMENT. Because when you focus on YOUR CONTRIBUTION (in relating to this article, focus on delivery of YOUR PERFORMANCE), your achievement WILL follow.
Thank you for your thoughts and your contribution Victor. Nowadays when I get caught up in a situation, I think to myself, ” What would Victor Cheng do?”. I supposed you have made it into my list of the 5 people I spend the most time with i.e. from your Strategic Outlier Letter Issue 1, Number 5 of July 2013.
I want to say thank you. I would be superb to meet you in person! Can’t wait for that day!
Sarah,
I totally agree with your brother.
As for the rest, I am honored to be in your top 5. I look forward to meeting you in person some day as well.
-Victor
I kind of agree with Sarah’s brother and all the sentiments in all the replies and the article is a lovely reminder. However, unfortunately things like staff merit or ‘contribution’ awards don’t do this – they are a subjective measure and I agree for own personal satisfaction that isn’t the road to follow. BUT, sometimes for any progression, which might mean not money but recognition and chances to do more of what you love..people have to follow what they know in their heart of hearts is tick boxes and spin and PR, not real measures of who is truly making the best contribution.
Also in selection for jobs the same can apply – though I agree focus on process and own performance and trust outcome then has best chance of following.
Also in selection for courses it’s not the best who wins. Example of student who didn’t make it into top University because gropped a grade at A Level and the reason they dropped a grade was because their exam answers were first class honours material which led to ‘ungraded’ because they didn’t fit the marking scheme for the A Level trophy. Ultimately sticking to what they know perhaps they became a great historian without going to the top Uni, but takes a very brave soul to put their trust in bypassing trophies they could easily pick up and making life harder for themselves.
But hey, I do agree this is something we should all strive for and try to keep the cynical goals and actions to an absolute minimum 🙂
This is a fantastic post. It highlights a very vital mistake most people make i.e. focusing on a target. I know of a manager in my ex-company who said that he would not buy a car until he could afford the most expensive car Mercedes makes and then, he would buy it. But years have gone by and he seems nowhere near that trophy, because Mercedes keeps making better and better cars whose prices keep rising all the time. And his career growth just has not matched up to to that.
There is a saying in Sanskrit “Karmanye Vadhikaraste, Ma phaleshou kada chana, Ma Karma Phala Hetur Bhurmatey Sangostva Akarmani”. It means… do not do something thinking about what you can gain out of it. Do it because you should. In other words, keep performing at the topmost of your ability and do not think about the trophy. The trophy will then come to you.
Well done my professional mentor, you have re-affirmed one of the things I so much believe and I am glad is coming from you.
It has been the driving force in my life. I have always focused on the result and never on the reward and that has made life, work and everything fun for me.
When it comes to malicious intentions to get the trophy just for the sake of raising self-esteem in a short term, I like the illustration of it is ‘Wreck it Ralph’ cartoon.
Basically, it is not the medal that makes you a hero.
Victor,
Thank you for a very strong message. I couldnt agree more.
By focusing on our own performance, we become independent as opposing to waiting for trophy from others.
That is my take.
Hi Victor,
Congrats on yet another great post. Love the analogy and agree on the amazing work of Meryl Streep. Reading through you post triggered my memory of a press conference interview of Matthew McConaughey when he won the Oscar for Best Actor “Dallas Buyers Club” http://youtu.be/30onwXme1ws – what caught my attention was just after 4 minutes into questioning where he explains how he became more ‘process oriented’ than anything else – his argument is that he can control the process, not the outcome. The daily construction and the resulting personal growth is what will get you the trophy. Great insights into how to become a true performer.
All the best,
Peter
Hi,
To my point of view, it is more like a transfer. At an earlier stage of life, you are eagered to possess money, fame, etc. to guarantee a better life. But once you can make yourself live comfortable, the second phase (goal) comes to your mind, it’s pursuing inner peace and self-fulfilling. For me in particular, I have the kind of feeling now that what I want to do and what I determined to chase is more like make a life, other than simply make a living, which I’m glad to see. Again, interest is always the best driving force. Based on this, performance becomes an inevitable outcome. So the key factor is the inner demand from your heart.
Regards,
Stephanie
Thanks! always a helpful reminder!
Good thought and analogy.
My take from this will be:-
1) Strong performance will always help you in the long run, whereas you have to alter your trophy oriented performance, every time after achieving the trophy.
2) Trophies come and go but it is the performance that leaves a lasting impression.