How Do We Define Success?

How Do We Define Success?

The month of June has just ended, which means the year is officially more than half over. So far, Gentle Giant has been exceeding revenue targets, thanks in part to changes in the housing market and improvements in the broader economy. In addition, the reputation of our company, based on the terrific attitudes and professionalism of the Giants themselves, helps too. However, the implication that during seasons over the last 30 years when we were not exceeding our revenue goals means we have not achieved “success” is false.

Whether Gentle Giant was booking jobs off the charts or only a few moves, or whether we hired and train many new employees or zero, we have still been successful at achieving what we need to do to pursue our mission. This means creating opportunities for great people, and changing what people expect from a moving company. Even on slow days, Gentle Giant is serving our customers. We have Giants working in challenging situations and in weather that is not ideal for moving, all with the goal of creating “customers for life.”

At the same time, our employees are developing life skills and important knowledge about how to communicate under pressure and work as a team. They’re creating memories for customers who are undergoing major life transitions, and we are able to play a small but very important part in their life. In turn, those customers tell others about Gentle Giant, and the employees who helped with the job had an experience that will hopefully propel them forward. In the seasons when revenue is better, we can experience the joy of having many jobs booked and have even more opportunities to pursue our mission.

The Bottom Line

Success should be defined by carrying out the mission of whatever drives your business. Is it just to make money? Instead, success should be defined in terms of what you can control, and to push yourself and your company to do well every single day, no mater what happens with elements you cannot control. After that, making money will be a pleasant byproduct of your success, and you will appreciate it more if it isn’t the only driving force of your business.