Secret sauce of success

Recently I had a conversation with some of my colleagues on the aspects which drive success. The question posed by them was "What is your secret sauce for success?"

Almost by instinct I replied that the secret sauce can be summarized as "CCPE". You would now be wondering about the ingredients of this secret sauce. The interesting fact is that these ingredients are known to all of us & are available to whoever is interested in creating "success". Also one can never claim that these are the only ingredients which combine together to give a wonderful outcome. But I have seen that these ingredients work for me & I have enjoyed the benefits of success when this combination has come together.

So to cut to the chase, let's get on to defining this "CCPE" which stands for CONVICTION, CONFIDENCE, PLAN & EXECUTION.

Conviction is the starting point of anything we approach. It might seem a relatively unimportant perspective, but the way we approach a problem/situation/issue actually goes a long way in determining the outcome. When we approach something with an ambivalent attitude we reduce its shot at success. One can definitely say that if there is Conviction, even an average plan can succeed, but if it is lacking even the best plan can fail. When we talk about conviction we refer to our own underlying belief in the idea or concept. This might be rooted in our personal value system, built thru experiences or be a part of a larger faith that we possess. The strength of this conviction then becomes unshakeable even when buffeted by doubt & failure. Whatever the origination point, Conviction is a necessary pre-requisite to take us to the next stage of the secret sauce.

Confidence is again something which all us claim to have, but at crucial times this is the first quality to disappear. Confidence here is required firstly in one's own abilities & competencies to drive actions in the direction desired by us. Confidence is also required in the ability of the external world to move you in the direction which aids fulfillment of your conviction. Lastly confidence is required in other people who might be a part of the collective process. The term "set up for success" can be attributed to this perspective about people around us. Conviction supported by Confidence is actually extremely visible to the people around us. Ask a salesperson who meets customers or a presenter presenting to a large audience, or better still ask the customers or the audience.

Plan is a word which seems very small, but encompasses almost all key aspects of the ultimate success. Ultimately just conviction & confidence are not going to get us the desired outputs. There needs to be a clear thought out plan which is focused on the desired result. The quote "We never Plan to Fail, but most of the time Fail to Plan" is an appropriate description of what really happens in life. A well created plan will encompass an understanding of the situation, outside elements which will impact, major & minor considerations, availability of resources & ultimately even a fall back strategy or Plan B. If we do not invest the required energy to create a proper plan, we will waste even more energy battling the negative outcome of an ill-conceived plan. An important aspect of planning is a pre-emptive approach the benefit of which is rarely visible. As in the case of a fire, one can seem very heroic battling the flames, rescuing people, saving property etc thru hard work & putting oneself at risk. People can see your courageous actions & you can always win more medals & accolades. But the bigger hero is actually the person who prevents a fire from breaking out in the first place.

Execution is something which seems very small compared to the other ingredients on our list. But it is actually a major contributor to the final outcome too. On many occasions, we see a tendency for people to be willing to put in all the efforts in the planning process & assume that the execution will take care of itself. Even after you have conviction in the concept, confidence in yourself and others & have put in the requisite efforts to plan, you are only at the starting point of the race. Execution is the physical culmination of all the prior 3 ingredients. Execution when involving oneself will include flawless translation of the plan. When involving others it will include instilling some part of your conviction & confidence into others, helping them in understanding the plan (bigger picture) and tracking the process as it rolls. Key aspects of execution will include tollgate reviews of progress & realignment of resources as required. Lastly the perspective of "under promise & over deliver" is always important to ensure that even with slips / delays success is achieved as per the plan.

So go on, create your own secret sauce of success & believe me, it’s more fun when you share it with the world