Trying is not achieving!

There is a difference between trying and achieving. While the former may solicit a pat on the back, reward should only go to the latter

In a leafy jungle, a doe and a monkey became friends. The monkey lived on a tree and told the doe about the distant lands he could see from his high branch. The doe gave the monkey news about the goings on at the forest floor. The doe’s little foal played around the monkey’s tree. And everyone was happy.

Then, the doe heard that the tiger had moved to their side of the forest. She feared for her foal. One day she asked the monkey to babysit the foal while she went to drink at the river. The monkey assured the doe that he would care for her baby. No sooner had the doe left, the tiger appeared. The monkey promptly jumped up into his tree and began screeching at the top of his lungs. He jumped about, shaking the branches of the tree. He threw sticks at the tiger. Nothing worked. The tiger gobbled up the foal. When the doe returned, she was distraught. She couldn’t believe that her friend had let her down! She asked the monkey why he didn’t do anything. The monkey said, “I tried very hard. I tried my very best. I really, really tried!”

The doe made the following fundamental mistakes: 1. she blindly entrusted her prized asset to a monkey 2. she did not verify the monkey’s ability to handle a tiger-situation 3. and; she forgot that the incompetent, think only of themselves!

The monkey, of course, was just plain incompetent.

Sounds familiar?

The implication of the word ‘try’ is often misunderstood because it is used interchangeably. To indicate genuine effort (aka Work in Progress – WIP) and as an excuse for work not done. Neither of which is worthy of reward.

Most of the time, ‘trying’ is a lifeline for losers. When commitments and deadlines haven’t been met. When no other excuses have worked. Like the doe, leaders very often get swayed by assurances and enthusiasm. They even pitch to reward them. Because the individual ‘really, really tried’!

It shows up everywhere! In interviews, when candidates talk convincingly about half finished projects. During appraisals, when people expect credit for results that will – may – happen sometime in the nebulous future. At exit interviews, when people feel hurt that their ‘efforts’ were not recognized!

That’s because there is a clique of leaders who take the easy path and recognize ‘efforts’ instead of results.

The workplace is not a kindergarten where a benevolent teacher needs to encourage a wailing child. It is a professional environment with much at stake – profits, customers, shareholders, people and even the environment.

Trying doesn’t always lead to success. Rewarding it, instead of achievement, allows the incompetent to make a monkey out of leaders.