The same is true in any kind of service business. You think or "feel" you're doing a good job, providing the client with a stream of new and relevant ideas and advice that is key to him or her exceeding their objectives, all delivered in an atmosphere of openness and unconstrained positivity. On some occassions you may even be right.
And yet, and yet. Sometimes, just as in sport, what feels fantastic to you is anything but to those on the receiving end. Even those with the most advanced sensory acuity can get it wrong. Clearly, some kind of objective method of measurement is important. In games like golf, you can simply look at the scorecard. In professional services, it's often harder to work out what 'real' really is.
True, there can often be business results to look at. But there many factors that go into their creation, some usually beyond your direct control. More often than not, we have to turn to the distinction between 'feel' and 'real' once more. Put simply, you can have stacks of objective evidence that you're doing a good job, but if it doesn't feel right to your client chances are they won't be around for long. And if they've got good business results and still don't feel great then something is seriously wrong indeed.
Maybe feel is real after all.
