Coaching practices for Define Success Criteria
Describe almost anything you are working through and IX Coach finds the practices whose real-world fit is closest. For Define Success Criteria, these are the strongest matches in the current practice library.
Does this sound like the set of challenges you might be facing?
- The second either of us names a solution, the other instantly shoots it down with a counter
- We technically agreed on the goal, but I can already tell the other side isn’t bought in and won’t actually follow through
- I keep setting goals I’m sure to hit so I never feel like a failure, and then I coast
- I measure myself purely by the scoreboard
- I’ve got this inspiring goal but no honest way to know if I’m actually getting closer
Practices that may help
- Define what success looks like together, before proposing solutions
Agree on the criteria a good solution must meet before either side proposes anything.
The Third Alternative, Made Practical - Make them solve the implementation for you
Ask "What does success look like?" and "How do we get there?" to make the other side do the planning.
Calibrated Questions, Made Practical - Calibrate stretch with a target score
Aim where hitting ~70% is a strong result, so comfort means you aimed too low.
OKRs for People, Not Just Companies - Define success by growth and contribution, not scorekeeping
Shifting the success metric from achievement tallies to personal growth and impact changes what you optimise for — usually for the better.
Goal-Free Living: When Process Beats Destination - Define measurable Key Results
Attach two to four hard metrics that prove the Objective was actually reached.
OKRs for People, Not Just Companies - Distinguish outcomes from tasks when setting your three
An outcome is a result you can evaluate; a task is an activity you can check off — only outcomes tell you whether the day succeeded.
The Rule of Three for Productivity, Made Practical - Demand definitions before discussion
Before arguing or planning, force a precise definition of the key terms.
The Socratic Method, Made Practical - Sidestep the SMART pitfalls
Use SMART to clarify execution — not to shrink your ambition or freeze your goal.
SMART Goals That Actually Move - Design process goals that are specific, observable, and within your control
Process goals must be both actionable (you can do them) and observable (you can confirm you did them).
Process vs. Outcome Goals in Sport and Performance - Redefine what counts as a win
Explicitly count showing up — even imperfectly — as a win, not only full performance.
Celebrating Small Wins
Related concerns
- Achievable Goals
Calibrate the goal to your real resources so effort feels worth starting.
Achievable — set it within reach, but honestly
- How To Define Success Upfront
Before arguing or planning, force a precise definition of the key terms.
Demand definitions before discussion
- Redefine Success
Before arguing or planning, force a precise definition of the key terms.
- Smart Goals
SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound — a checklist for turning a vague intention into a goal you can act on and track. The underlying principle that specific, clearly-defined goals beat “do your best” is well supported in goal-setting research; the SMART acronym itself is a practical packaging of that idea.
- Smart Goals Examples
SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound — a checklist for turning a vague intention into a goal you can act on and track. The underlying principle that specific, clearly-defined goals beat “do your best” is well supported in goal-setting research; the SMART acronym itself is a practical packaging of that idea.
- Accuracy Vs Directional Goals
A compass bearing keeps you moving without closing off the exact route or destination.
Replace specific goals with a guiding direction
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