Founder & CEO at Deer Designer 🦌 Automation/Delegation/Outsourcing expert helping leaders scale 📈 Keynote Speaker 🎤
So, I hired a Partnerships Manager last year. Let’s call her Joan. The job was simple: book 20 qualified calls per month. That way, I could focus on running the company and just hop on calls to close deals. Fast forward to the end of the month, I check in, expecting 20 calls lined up. What do I find? 4 calls. Yep, four. I can’t even describe what I felt in that moment. But no point on getting upset, so I called Joan to find out what happened. Her answer? "Thiago, I tried EVERYTHING! Sent emails, made calls, followed up. I was grinding all month." I’m like... really? You tried everything and still hit 4 calls? Let me be blunt: effort alone doesn’t impress me. Sure, Joan was working hard, but effort without results is a participation trophy. And I don’t pay for participation trophies. Results over effort – every. single. time. I didn’t hire Joan to “try.” I hired her to book 20 calls. That was the deal. It was clear. I wasn’t paying for her to check boxes—I was paying for a result. Some might say, “You could’ve checked in earlier.” I get it. But when you hire someone for a job, you expect them to get it done. I don’t micromanage. If I wanted to do that, I’d just do it myself. If someone’s struggling, I expect them to ask for help before the deadline. Did Joan? Nope. But Joan’s story isn’t unique. It happens often, which is why I focus on results from the start. Most businesses get it wrong by managing effort instead of outcomes. If you want to grow, here’s how: - Get your team to chase outcomes, not tasks. - Celebrate wins, not work. - Keep performance visible and your team accountable. Effort feels good, but results grow your business. If a BDR hits 20/30 calls, I don’t care if they’re working from home while watching Netflix. Why? Because they get the job done. So, let me ask: is your business getting the results it needs, or are you stuck managing effort? Focus on results. I'll be cheering for you.
