"Definition of Victory" is a simple tool that can help clarify what you want and improve your odds of getting it--especially in situations that have potential to push your buttons. It applies before the fact--to help prepare something you want to bring about.
Starting with a “definition of victory” makes it easier to experience whatever happens as feedback (rather than failure). It’s the business equivalent of reminding yourself where traffic is flowing and where you want to go. Do it before any important meeting, call, or activity.
Starting with a “definition of victory” makes it easier to experience whatever happens as feedback (rather than failure). It’s the business equivalent of reminding yourself where traffic is flowing and where you want to go. Do it before any important meeting, call, or activity.
A “DOV” is a doable result that represents a win—not an ideal result, just something that would move your "campaign" along and contribute to success in a “good enough” way. By “good enough,” I mean what’s just enough to win THIS STEP and keep the play going. It is NOT a stretch objective…rather, a threshold that you ought to be able to meet the vast majority of the time.
A DOV should have two elements:
Why two elements? We want to see a real-world result—that’s the external one. But at best, we’re only responsible for how we’re being and what we do—that’s the internal one. Both together help clarify intention and how we can bring it about in a balanced way.
A DOV should have two elements:
- An external element (what you intend to see happen in the “real world”)
- An internal element (what you’re bringing to realize this intention—frame of mind, actions, etc.)
Why two elements? We want to see a real-world result—that’s the external one. But at best, we’re only responsible for how we’re being and what we do—that’s the internal one. Both together help clarify intention and how we can bring it about in a balanced way.
Personal Example--Holidays!
Have you ever struggled to be with your family the way you wanted to during Thanksgiving or other holidays? Use a DOV! For example, rather than have high but unexamined dreams for getting along with that difficult family member, think about what's something you might be able to achieve that would be good enough.
For that person of the opposite political persuasion, maybe it's finding a neutral subject. Or for the family member that you sometimes feel one-ups you, maybe it's "I am able to talk with <person x> for a few minutes and can walk away when I need to." That covers the external dimensions...for the internal part of the DOV, it might be something like "Knowing it can be hard to be with <person x>, I can find compassion for them and myself that opens me to being curious yet also keeping myself safe." Pick what works for you.
Or, maybe you just want to keep the meal on track and balance planning with partying. So an external DOV might be "I ask a few guests to bring cider and other food to support the meal." Internal might be "I make time to be at my own party."
For that person of the opposite political persuasion, maybe it's finding a neutral subject. Or for the family member that you sometimes feel one-ups you, maybe it's "I am able to talk with <person x> for a few minutes and can walk away when I need to." That covers the external dimensions...for the internal part of the DOV, it might be something like "Knowing it can be hard to be with <person x>, I can find compassion for them and myself that opens me to being curious yet also keeping myself safe." Pick what works for you.
Or, maybe you just want to keep the meal on track and balance planning with partying. So an external DOV might be "I ask a few guests to bring cider and other food to support the meal." Internal might be "I make time to be at my own party."
Work Example
At a networking meeting, I might set a DOV something like “I learn if this group and I could mutually support each other in developing our business. I position myself to help at least one person out who is curious about my business and me.” That’s the external stuff…things I’d like to see in the real world, but don’t control. Notice, by the way, that these are all highly doable—a longer-term, less likely objective like “I get one proposal request” doesn’t belong in a DOV, at least not this initial one.
Then I might add, “I enjoy myself at the meeting, and feel like I spoke professionally with clarity yet playfully.“ That’s an internal part of the DOV—I may or may not do it, but at least it doesn’t depend on anyone but me. And it is something quite likely to happen, as well.
Then I might add, “I enjoy myself at the meeting, and feel like I spoke professionally with clarity yet playfully.“ That’s an internal part of the DOV—I may or may not do it, but at least it doesn’t depend on anyone but me. And it is something quite likely to happen, as well.
Why DOVs Work
DOVs work in three ways. First, they put more energy on our intentions—positive things we want and are excited about. That tends to de-energize our fear circuits, so it makes more mental resource available when and where it counts.
Second, most of us have overachieving tendencies, so we focus more on what we don’t accomplish than what we do. DOVs restore balance. By setting a DOV, we can more easily call productive actions a win, so we’re creating a pattern of success for ourselves. And in fact—when we use DOVs, we’re successful more often, so it’s not just “win”-dow dressing. And people who are successful tend to focus on their successes, so you’re reinforcing a useful thing. (That’s why, for DOVs to work, the threshold should be as low as you can make it and still achieve a result that’s contributing to a win. Most people trying this tool the first time will set performance thresholds too high. Don’t do that!)
Third, distinguishing what we want to bring about from what we’re responsible for makes it easier to learn vs. criticize. So DOVs keep us in a more productive mindset, and enable us to harness what we learn more readily.
Don’t feel like you have to believe me, though. Just try setting DOVs the next time you want to bring about something important, and see for yourself.
Second, most of us have overachieving tendencies, so we focus more on what we don’t accomplish than what we do. DOVs restore balance. By setting a DOV, we can more easily call productive actions a win, so we’re creating a pattern of success for ourselves. And in fact—when we use DOVs, we’re successful more often, so it’s not just “win”-dow dressing. And people who are successful tend to focus on their successes, so you’re reinforcing a useful thing. (That’s why, for DOVs to work, the threshold should be as low as you can make it and still achieve a result that’s contributing to a win. Most people trying this tool the first time will set performance thresholds too high. Don’t do that!)
Third, distinguishing what we want to bring about from what we’re responsible for makes it easier to learn vs. criticize. So DOVs keep us in a more productive mindset, and enable us to harness what we learn more readily.
Don’t feel like you have to believe me, though. Just try setting DOVs the next time you want to bring about something important, and see for yourself.
Thanks to my colleagues at strategy consulting firm Monitor Group and its CEO, Joe Fuller, for the inspiration. DOVs were used ubiquitously inside Monitor (“what’s your DOV for that?”) and with clients, too. Joe brought DOVs to Monitor…and notes DOVs' derivation “from multiple sources in military history (Sun Tzu, Clausewitz), the Bible, Thucydides, etc.”
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