Over the last half-century, I have viewed success from many vantage points, including my own career of 45 plus years. I have seen the creative genius of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, the inspiring writings of Dr. Maya Angelou, the legendary musical career of Dolly Parton and the dramatic excellence of actor/director Denzel Washington. I watched the Sam Walton vision prosper and the S. Truett Cathy customer service model with Chick-fil-A take flight. I have concluded that the highest level of success can be achieved when you work hard, work smart and remember the following four principles: focus, details, closure and evaluation. 

Focus requires an extraordinary amount of discipline. With so many distractions in our modern world, we must keep our eyes on the task at hand. In the words of my college professor, “keep the main thing the main thing." Our undivided attention is necessary to accomplish our goals, and we must keep our eyes on the task to ensure the best possible outcome takes place.

Details determine the quality of success each time we touch an assignment. I once served at the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, where, at one point, I wore a uniform. We stood in roll calls each day. Policy dictated the appropriate uniform appearance. The shift commander made uniform checks often. The shoes received special observation. If you took care of the shoes and kept them immaculate, the rest of the uniform normally fell in place. We, too, must have that same level of appreciation for details. With each assignment you get the privilege to facilitate, taking care of the details will make a difference in achieving optimal success.

Closure is significant because we must finish what we start. Many important assignments reach a point of complexity where we may wonder if it will ever end. The answer is always yes! It is during this stage we must persevere until we reach our goals. We must keep the vision in sight and remember that we are making a difference in the lives of the people we get the opportunity to serve.

Evaluation is the final step. This is the significant stage where you ensure you have met your goals. It is always beneficial to revisit the desired outcomes. Proper evaluation opens the door to a world of possibilities as it relates to the next successful project. Evaluation is the stage where seeds are planted for the future based on information acquired.

Success can be viewed from many different lenses. Every project we take is an opportunity for greatness to be placed on display. If you remember to include focus, details, closure and evaluation into the process, you might be surprised how much you achieve for your customers.