There are different kinds of people having different opinions on successful approaches. A team may have the same vision and is working to achieve the same goal, though every member of the team has a different approach to get the work done. Top-level managers and employees that may work under the same roof differ in working styles and have their own perspective of understanding of a common objective.
Professionals may feel entangled in a system of a process that in the long run, makes them less passionate about their career objectives, and some may get demotivate despite following the tested pattern but not getting the results. This happens because there are mostly two types of approaches that people may follow in this world.
- The Process-Oriented Approach
- The Result-Oriented Approach
We will have a basic comparison first to understand the actual difference, and then discuss each approach in detail later in this article.
These two choices are not mutual or exclusive as most persons apply both of the approaches to get a different kind of work done in their life journey, including personal and professional, to get results. There may be times when you need to get results hell or high water so you got to be creative and flexible with the process by taking risks and on other times you have to be a lot of disciplined with the structure and SOPs to make progress. It will also help you to analyze your business skills.
1. The Process-Oriented Approach
A process-oriented approach strives to move and make improvements. It motivates followers to fight to look for achieving results by following a pattern. Process-oriented approach prevents people from running the risk of attaining an objective by sitting and resting happily.
The followers may sometimes get the rest of their lives, believing that they are settled the path to achieving their goal by just doing the work. But actually, they are not growing. At least not just by focusing on the process only. The process-oriented approach is applicable when there is an immediate need for creating a plan, but it doesn’t push people to build anything neither makes them grow.
2. The Result-Oriented Approach
A result-oriented approach strives and fights for moving for the sake of achieving a goal irrespective of following a pattern.
Being result-oriented is useful to an extent because everyone has an objective in life, and they have a path to follow, but most of them just need to get there and achieve the goal. They may also end up messing with the giant elephant in the room.
Comparative Real Life Examples
Let’s take two famous personalities to elaborate on the need for both approaches:
Hitler v/s Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi played an instrumental role in the struggle for freedom of India. His goal was fixed to achieve as India a free country. He condemned violence and addressed humanity. While Hitler was a person of getting results. He went to every possible extent and wiped out thousands of people just to achieve his goal. He didn’t care about the things he was doing just was focused on his objectives. Hence Gandhi was a Process-oriented person, and Hitler was a result-oriented person.
Engage Through the Process Result
The process-oriented approach enables people to work towards their goal in a way that the procedure of attaining a specific objective is nurtured. Unlike the result-oriented approach, process-oriented people stretch themselves to learn and earn on the go. They learn from their mistakes and work not to achieve objectives but to make sure that they accomplish that objective way better comparatively the road before they have done that in the past.
Alternatively, they attain their achievements because their planning takes them to the direction of their goals. Growth may not be a concern for them, it is eventual unnecessary, but they are consistent in terms of their SOPs. However, because of the difference of vision between both approaches, process-oriented persons do not look past the other goal until the first one is achieved.
Alternatively, result-driven people are instant on looking for the achievement of results since they are focused on getting it done by every means and on every purpose. Their objectives just give them a direction to get focused, and their enthusiasm leads them to get it done. Goals are not the end for them, and they are mile markers.
There is a never-ending debate between which approach is better than the other one and which follower is more successful than the other one. Many entrepreneurs are result oriented and get motivated and inspire others by achieving their ambitions. They will get frustrated in process systems.
While process-driven people are crazy to get themselves follow the process to reach their goal, they don’t bother about setting their timeline long-term. They get frustrated when they are told to do something off rules. That is why most of the organizations are process-oriented as they want to play safe and reduce the chances of failure for them.
The Ultimate Key of Success
The ultimate key to success is to find a process that focuses on your result to achieve it. There are many ways to incorporate both approaches in your plan to achieve an objective. Whether it is your personal goal or a career objective, make this combined or solo approach as per your situation need your way of living that will bring you peace and satisfaction.
This may take you a lot of study and researching, and you may have to explore much. Also, trial and error will become a part of your planning, but the solution exists. You just have to believe that you have to engage in something that you may not like, but you are doing this to reach your goals. You are most probably not going to do it long enough as well, but you will going to convince yourself that it is essential for your growth and development. You have to hold on it, and it will all make sense one day.
When you find a process that is efficient enough to get you desired results and will benefit you today and help you tomorrow, treat your objective like treasure, something you cannot surpass and then you will produce the goals you seek you will not only then reach them you will actually inspire other to be like you.
Even better, you will then don’t have to wait till you reach the goal, you will be happy be just following your path and seeing your progress towards your achievement. You can use the combined approach once you become habitual of leading yourself and others with the right advice. Hence, be a goal setter with a process planning to be successful.