If you manage a company, a team, a project, the most you can do is managing the inputs and monitor the outcomes.

Too much time is wasted, too many promises broken, in the attempt to manage the outcomes. Outcomes are out of anybody’s control. Even those who have already succeeded in the field you are trying to master cannot promise outcomes.

And so, instead:

• Ensure the input is aligned with what you want to achieve
• Ensure the input is consistent over time
• Ensure the input is promoted as success (or failure)

That’s how you keep you and your team sane.