You’re not done, you’re just being lazy! (The 3 Dones)

Professionally we do things to get them done. And that’s the problem. Nearly 90% of the people I meet on a daily basis are not living up to their potential. When asked about a project that someone works on, I'm typically told about what was delivered. This is great. Honestly, I assumed they would complete those things because that is their job. But, that’s the problem. It gives me no sense about if they are good at their job or are they valuable? We need a new mechanism/framework to discuss the work we do.

While at Amazon, a manager named Stefan Haney, taught me a straightforward, powerful and efficient tool to solve this problem. He called it the 3 Dones. Since that day, I’ve applied it on almost each and every initiative I have been involved. I have held my team to its standards. While nearly everyone hates it at first, think screaming baby, they come to love it. They start to speak in the language of 3 Dones.

3 Dones is a framework that sets the tone for how we describe the work done. It simplifies the task into a simple statement that addresses why anyone should care. Telling me what you delivered is good, but only you know the challenges. It is talking to me in your personal dialogue. It removes you from the outcome. And frankly, it forces me to guess who else cares.

3 Dones, when done right, answers the questions:

-What did you deliver (we are all exquisite about this)?

-Did anyone (or the people that matter) know about this work?

-What was the impact of your efforts?

Let me give an extreme example:

As seen in the most recent article of our weekly newspaper, my work, picking up garbage in the city of Brentwood has resulted in the city being rated one of the cleanest in the United States.

Okay, okay, okay. Yes, this is a silly example. But let’s dissect and use an actual use case. Let’s assume your job was to install car charging stations at your office building. Let’s work through the framework

1. What did you deliver?

You installed charging stations in your office parking lot for the most recent going green initiative. Your work is important. If you didn’t do your job, it would never have gotten done. However, you’re telling the audience what we have been programmed to say. You’re telling them; you know how to do your job, and you did it.

This is where most people wipe their hands and walk away. Someone asked me to do something, I have done it, and I’m ready for the next thing. Well maybe the physical labor is done, but if no one uses the charging stations was the work valid (think a tree falling in the woods). To brag about work at this stage is silly. It just means your competent.

2. Who knows about it?

You installed these fantastic charging stations, and they were a major discussion at your companies quarterly all hands. Social recognition is important. Here is the first place many people struggle. The problem is, you may not own how your work is shared. Fret not, this can be solved with a mindset shift. When you start a project, think about who your end client will be. For a User Researcher, this maybe a fellow researcher two years down the road. If your an engineer this may be an overseas colleague or developer in a different group altogether.

Someone or something consumes most of our work. For those working in larger companies, consider how much redundant effort you see happening. Wastes of efforts can be solved by considering visibility as part of your deliverables.

To resolve this crisis, start by identifying and building empathy for the audience for your great work. How will they be made aware of what you did? Where do they go today to find out about such information?

Jeff Bezos asks staff to work backward from a press release. To do this, you must consider what will people say when you have ultimately completed your endeavor. Thinking about how your audience will consume what you’re doing, and what are the things for which they care. Doing so will help you prioritize, plan, and identify opportunities where extra effort can be exerted.

3. So what?

Since installation x% of the total company is using your new charging stations. As a matter of fact, y% of the employees have switched petrol-based vehicles to electric. Wow! Your work had an impact, it was meaningful, and delivered an ROI. This is what executives and finance people eat up. Someone spent money for you to do this job. By telling the impact of that work you satisfy the burning question about competence. You are saying you are an owner of your job’s output. You are saying that not only can you do the job, but you can do it in a valuable way.

This tier of the 3 done pyramid, is where people put up the most resistance. Over the years I have seen a constant theme around contained control. I hear, “I may not be the only influence in achieving this result.” or “other people may screw it up, and I won’t be accountable.” No one likes a pity party, and my friends this is a pity party. If you know you're not going to achieve the results that you initially sought then you need to either: change course criteria, help get the ship on track, or simply jump ship.

The struggle I believe is not because we are helpless but rather because society has instructed us that it’s not appropriate to help or do someone else’s job. It is not courteous. These are all extremely valid points. However, two years from now would you rather tell people of how great you are to get along with or the great things you and your team accomplished. Yes, we all would like both, however, prioritize. For me, it’s the later, because that means I am still doing my job and we are rockstars.

Let’s simplify how you can take any goal you have today and rewrite it, such that it meets the criteria of 3 Dones.

As seen in ___________________, I/we delivered __________________ to ________________, which resulted in __________________.

Give it a shot. A key piece to keep in mind is that your goal can and should continuously evolve and your project progresses. The purpose of the goal is the highlight where you are going and what you hope to achieve. It keeps you honest about what your audience cares about, and it empowers you to think and act like an owner of your work.

Try it out and let me know how it goes.