The Journey Matters: Redefining Success Beyond Outcomes

In the high-pressure world of human capital consulting, it's easy to fall into the trap of measuring success solely by placements and closed deals.

Recently, an experience with one of our clients at Arthan completely shifted my perspective on what true success looks like in our industry—and perhaps in business more broadly.## When "Failure" Leads to Greater Success.

In December 2024, we took on a critical hiring role for a valued partner. We committed our resources, our expertise, and our reputation to finding the perfect candidate.

When our partnerships representative received a call requesting a meeting to "close the loop," our team immediately feared the worst. The partner had hired through an internal reference, and we hadn't closed the deal.

The familiar feeling of disappointment set in. We began the internal post-mortem that so many of us conduct when we fall short of our goals.

• Where did we go wrong?
• How could we have done better?

The self-criticism was automatic.

The Surprising Conversation

When we joined the call, expecting to navigate a difficult conversation about our perceived failure, we were met with something completely unexpected. The partner began by sharing that while they had hired someone—a candidate who actually differed significantly from the original brief—they had been profoundly impacted by our work together.

They proceeded to highlight:- How impressed they were with our structured process- Our consistent timeliness and professionalism- The valuable insights our team had provided throughout the engagement.

Most surprisingly, they revealed they had already begun implementing changes to their internal hiring practices based on the methodologies we had shared.

And then came the remarkable news: they had recommended Arthan to their global partners, resulting in three international organisations requesting proposals from us.

Redefining What Success Looks Like

This experience forced me and us to confront an uncomfortable truth: We had been defining success too narrowly.

In focusing exclusively on the end result (placing a candidate), I had been blind to the broader impact of our work:

1. Knowledge Transfer: Our expertise became a lasting resource for the client.

2. Relationship Building: The trust and rapport established proved more valuable than the immediate transaction.

3. Ripple Effects: Our influence extended far beyond the original scope of work.

The Bigger Picture

This shift in perspective has made me reflect on how we operate not just in business, but in life.

• How often do we judge ourselves harshly when we don't achieve the specific outcome we targeted, while completely overlooking the value created along the way?

In our metrics-driven world, we've become obsessed with concrete deliverables and binary success measures. We crave the satisfaction of ticking boxes and hitting targets. But what if the journey itself—the knowledge shared, the relationships built, the trust established—is actually where the most significant value lies?

A New Success Framework

Going forward, We are committing to a more holistic definition of success for our work at Arthan:-

• Did we bring excellence to the process regardless of outcome?
• Did we create value through our expertise and methodology?
• Did we build trust and strengthen relationships?
• Did we leave the partner better equipped than when we started?

This doesn't mean lowering our standards or being content with not achieving goals. Rather, it means recognising that impact manifests in multiple ways, some of which may be more significant in the long run than the immediate target.

The Invitation

I invite you to consider where in your own work you might be missing the forest for the trees.

• Are there "failures" that, viewed through a different lens, actually represent profound success?
• Are there journeys that, despite not reaching the intended destination, led to valuable places you couldn't have anticipated?

Success is rarely linear, and value creation often happens in unexpected ways. By broadening our definition of what constitutes a win, we not only do justice to the true impact of our work but also free ourselves from the unnecessary burden of perfectionism that blinds us to the good we're doing along the way.

Sometimes, the most significant victories don't look anything like what we imagined they would.

What unexpected successes have you discovered in apparent setbacks? I'd love to hear your stories in the comments below.