"Making an impact" is quite a mantra nowadays, but what does that mean? What is this "impact"?
Being a widely used word, you would assume that its meaning is universally shared, but is it?
A quick look at a dictionary says that impact is both the action of one object coming forcibly into contact with one another and a marked effect or influence depending on the context.
Definitely, these definitions help only partially.
What kind of effect or influence are we talking about? How much force is enough? When does an effect become marked? How do we measure it?
When we say that we want to make an impact, do we implicitly mean a positive one? Or can the impact be negative too? And does it have to be intentional?
So much ambiguity around this word can lead to confusion, disappointment and a lack of effectiveness in our efforts to make an impact.
When we start an endeavour to make an impact, we must define what we mean. In particular, if we are working as a team.
As an example, to me, the impact is not just the outcome of an action; that is its effect. Impact is the effect or influence of an action on something or someone. So, when we say that we want to make an impact, we must also identify on whom or what we want to make it.
What does impact mean to you?