ADVICE TO GRADUATING STUDENTS: THE MOST POWERFUL QUESTION YOU CAN ASK IN ALMOST ANY SITUATION . . .
. . . “WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE?”
For project managers: PMI emphasizes defining success early, because projects often fail when success is not explicitly defined. The IPMA ICB defines success relative to stakeholder expectations, not just time, scope, and cost.
For managers: Peter Drucker taught that effectiveness starts with clarifying objectives and outcomes. Kaplan and Norton showed that success extends beyond financial metrics. Kotter stresses the need for a clear vision of the desired end state.
For consultants: Firms such as McKinsey, BCG, and Bain routinely use outcome-defining questions like this in project kickoffs to align stakeholders.
But why does it work? “What does success look like?” is powerful because it activates multiple psychological mechanisms at once: it counteracts cognitive biases; it disrupts automatic behavior; it shifts people from habitual action to reflective goal-oriented thinking; and it forces perspective-taking by requiring individuals to articulate what success actually means.
Even Texans will agree: that dog’ll hunt. 🤠
