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[2021 in a Nutshell] I repeated a classic manager’s mistake - measure and control.
Suman Kumar Jha
Jilo Health: Making Quality Healthcare Affordable for India's "Missing Middle"
I started 2021 with some sense of overall ZILA’s market and planned my resolution more around self-development and PMF.
These are my 2021 resolutions, and I achieved 50%, maybe 51%.
I don't expect to achieve 100% of my goals. But achieving 50% of the goal is an indication of bad execution. I made a fundamental mistake of measure and control. I was not measuring my performance weekly or monthly and hence I had no control over the outcomes.
Ambitious goals without a proper measurement and control system are like dead fish in a pond. I have read a book on this topic - many individuals and organizations made this classic mistake. The mistake of the feedback loop - most managers evaluate their direct reports yearly or quarterly. In the absence of frequent feedback - weekly and monthly - most employees wonder about their performance. For the fact, I thought, I was on track to achieve 80% of the goals - Output metrics are telling me different stories.?
I made a similar mistake - I measured my resolution at the end of the year and felt embarrassed. If I had measured my performance weekly or monthly, I might have achieved 85 or 90% of the goals.?
Here is a summary of 2021.?
Pre-seed round: We were pre-revenue and 3 members team - at the start of 2021. Today we do, close to, 10,00,000 monthly GMV, we have created 200+ self-employed jobs - a stable monthly income of 3,000 to 6,500 - in three Subdivisions of Bihar. 90% of the orders are through Community Partners, 99% of our users are first-time internet users (some of them don't even use the internet - they still purchase groceries through the ZILA platform WTHO Community Partners). We are currently 11 members team with a clear signal of PMF. We have learnt a lot about the TG that will help us achieve our BHAG of 2022.
I spent 86 minutes every day reading books - purchased 63 books, completed 42, started eight books and left in the middle. Except for one book - all the books I purchased/read in 2021 were self-discovered - Twitter, Instagram, Podcasts, and Books.?
Black Box Thinking: Why most people never learn from their mistakes - But some do, is my favourite book of 2021. My top-8 books of 2021 are reread books of 2022. I found Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World - an overrated.? I achieved 92% of the target - 50 books in 2021.?
I spent 11 minutes every day listening to podcasts - 102 Podcasts from 25 different podcast channels. That is 27% of the target - 365 Podcasts in 2021.?
I spent 51 minutes running, walking, and cycling in 2021. I run only 251.15KM, which is 25% of the target - 1000KM in 2021. I compensated for that with walking and cycling.?
I met 100+ unique folks - physically & Digitally - whom I wanted to work and learn, which is 200% of the 2021 target. I think I was less ambitious - I will set a better goal.?
In a nutshell - I spent two hours per day on personal development in 2021. I can see the results of that - I am a new person with a deeper understanding of the subjects and problem-solving abilities.?
Here is a detailed breakdown of the 2021's goals?
1st: Close ZILA’s Pre-seed round - We indeed close the pre-seed round of ZILA. The cheque size was smaller. We adjusted our goals and priorities - with that money, we have structured the business, built the processes around CAC, Branding, Marketing, Scale, and Operation. The past four months' sales data is signalling a clear PMF. I would consider achieving 50% of the goal because we failed to raise the desired cheque size.?
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2nd: Read 50 Books (1 book a week): I achieved 92% of the goal. In 2021 - Purchased 63 books, completed 42 books, started and left 8 books in the middle. Combining all these, I read close to 46 books, which is 4 less than my year's target. I spent 86 minutes per day reading in 2021. Am I happy with the result - the answer is NO. I was less ambitious - it is not a BHAG? I will have a BHAG in 2022.?
My Top-8 of 2021?
3rd: Listen to 365 Podcast & Audio Books - I listened to 102 Podcasts from 23 different Podcast channels, which is 27% of the goal. Assuming 40 minutes average Podcast length. I spent 68 hours in 2021 alone on Podcast - 11 minutes per day. I am feeling embarrassed while writing this. I can fix this mistake by running more - I listen to podcasts mostly during my exercise. I shall run more - I shall listen more. :)?
4th: Meet 50 unique people with whom I want to work and learn?- I have met probably 100+ unique folks in 2021 - digital & physical. This year, I am probably gonna meet more folks. I shall have a BHAG for this as well.?
5th: Run 1000KM (3 KMs a day)?- Apart from running, I also tried cycling and walking in 2021. I am feeling embarrassed while writing this, but I run only 251.55KM - not even 1KM per day. But the Good news is I walked 19,02,351 steps and 7 hours of cycling. All three combined - I spent 51 minutes per day on all three exercises.??
6th: A family holiday - An incomplete goal for 2021. Having said that, I did spend 7 days with my family in my village - I can consider that as a family holiday ;)?
Conclusion:
Total = 148 minutes (I listen to podcasts while running or walking, so we can reduce 11 minutes. I have habit of walking - 10 to 15 minutes- after my lunch and dinner - I prefer to read at mid-day walking. And hence, I must remove 10 minutes. A round figure, I spent 120 minutes on self-development. Good :)?
Overall, 2021 was an average year for me. In my few goals, I was miles away. I achieved a few goals - again not a good sign. I should have been ambitious.
I shall fix these mistakes?in 2021 by
2022 Resolutions
Cheers to a New and exciting Year - 2022!!