Can You Guarantee Results?

I can't, and if I were you, I would be very careful believing people who say they can. There are far too many factors I as an outsider cannot control. And what I cannot control, it is plain unethical to guarantee.

No general can guarantee victory

No pilot can guarantee safe arrival

No doctor can guarantee the outcome of a major surgery

Consulting expert and the author of consulting must-read, Flawless Consulting, Peter Blocks says this about guaranteeing results.

"We can guarantee the integrity of our promise and actions. We cannot guarantee results, because it is the client who gets credit and is responsible for outcomes, not us. When we claim results for ourselves, we have stolen something from the client.

Regardless of how skilled and experienced professionals are, there are no guarantees in life besides death and taxes. As a former gravedigger, I can testify to the former, and as a taxpayer, I can testify to the latter. So, be very careful when someone offers you guaranteed results.

I can, however, control what I put in. I can increase the velocity and the probability with which you move towards your goals. Using a sports example, you can be the fastest runner, but if you are running in the wrong direction, you keep losing. So, you may be doing your things right, but unless and until you are doing the right things, you are doomed to repeat your own mistakes until an external force knocks you out of your groove.

This is plain Newtonian physics, the law of action and reaction. Your work is the action and your result is the reaction. To change the reaction, you have to change behaviour, thus your actions, including whether or not you get out of bed in the morning and do something. And since I can't control what you do, I can't control what you achieve either.

And I guarantee professional and ethical conduct of business. I also guarantee 100% confidentiality. But one thing is certain. When we work together, and we both put one foot in front of the other diligently and in the right direction, there is a very good chance that we complete the project with great success, and you make great return on your investment.

And this has a lot to do with your self-confidence. Do you believe in yourself strongly enough that you actually dare to bet on your own ability to achieve something worthwhile?

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