--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: in the best organizations, the short term…" description: "\"“in the best organizations, the short term is not the only thing that matters. What matters more is being best. And that’s a long-term concept.”\" — Tom..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e19/tom-demarco-12134_long-term_in-the-best-organizations-the-short-term_628416.png" --- # in the best organizations, the short term is not the only… ![“in the best organizations, the short term is not the only thing that matters. What matters more is being best. And that’s a long-term concept.” quote by Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e19/tom-demarco-12134_long-term_in-the-best-organizations-the-short-term_628416.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e19/tom-demarco-12134_long-term_in-the-best-organizations-the-short-term_628416.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e19/tom-demarco-12134_long-term_in-the-best-organizations-the-short-term_628416.png) > ““in the best organizations, the short term is not the only thing that matters. What matters more is being best. And that’s a long-term concept.”” [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Short‑term goals are secondary to becoming the best; excellence requires a long‑term perspective. **In simple terms:** Being the best matters more than immediate wins. Key Takeaway Prioritize long‑term excellence over quick fixes. Themes excellence long‑term planning leadership Mood thoughtful strategic Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - product development - organizational change - career planning Key Concepts systems thinking strategic vision continuous improvement Questions to Reflect On - What long‑term metrics define “being best” for you? - How do you balance immediate demands with future goals? A Different Perspective Short‑term pressures can distract from lasting success. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best Organizations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-organizations-1078007/) [Long term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-term/) [Matters Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matters-best-4310808/) [Short term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short-term/) [Thing Matters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-matters-302542/) ## Related quotes > [“The only thing that matters is to do the best you can in the moment and realize that no one has all the answers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-lange/the-only-thing-that-matters-is-to-do-the-best-you-can-in-the-moment/) [Ken Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-lange/) > [I've been very fortunate throughout my career to fight for the best organizations in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-nunes/i-ve-been-very-fortunate-throughout-my-career-to-fight-for-the-best/) [Amanda Nunes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-nunes/) > [The best organizations are filled with people who have a wealth of choices as to what work they choose to do. We need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-yang/the-best-organizations-are-filled-with-people-who-have-a-wealth-of/) [Andrew Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-yang/) > [In the best organizations, love is the real "pixie dust."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-capodagli/in-the-best-organizations-love-is-the-real-pixie-dust/) [Bill Capodagli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-capodagli/) > [The Heat run a first-class organization. They have one of the best organizations in all of sports.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maverick-carter/the-heat-run-a-first-class-organization-they-have-one-of-the-best/) [Maverick Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maverick-carter/) > [I tell them how what matters is becoming the best you can be at whatever you're doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafer-johnson/i-tell-them-how-what-matters-is-becoming-the-best-you-can-be-at/) [Rafer Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafer-johnson/) > [“All that matters is that you be the very best you you can be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-blaylock/all-that-matters-is-that-you-be-the-very-best-you-you-can-be/) [Aaron Blaylock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-blaylock/) > [If I had a device, it would be the true, the true only, leaving the beautiful and the good to settle matters afterwards as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-augustin-sainte-beuve/if-i-had-a-device-it-would-be-the-true-the-true-only-leaving-the/) [Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-augustin-sainte-beuve/) > [“All that matters is that you be the very best you you can be... 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Long term, I'm optimistic because there's a lotta bipartisan agreement outside of Washington…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-am-long-term-optimistic-and-short-term-pessimistic-on-immigration/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [Unless you invest in people, you are not going to see growth in the long term, the medium term, and maybe even the short…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-yong-kim/unless-you-invest-in-people-you-are-not-going-to-see-growth-in-the/) [Jim Yong Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-yong-kim/) > [If we human beings learn to see the intricacies that bind one part of a natural system to another and then to us, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaylord-nelson/if-we-human-beings-learn-to-see-the-intricacies-that-bind-one-part-of/) [Gaylord Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaylord-nelson/) > [A job is a short term solution to a long term problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/a-job-is-a-short-term-solution-to-a-long-term-problem/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [Nature will eventually do what nature has always done. It will respond in a self-stabilizing manner over the long term with moderate variability over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-h-sununu/nature-will-eventually-do-what-nature-has-always-done-it-will-respond/) [John H. Sununu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-h-sununu/) ## More by Tom DeMarco > [“More important than any gimmick you introduce is a change in attitude. People must learn that it’s okay sometimes not to answer their phones,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/more-important-than-any-gimmick-you-introduce-is-a-change-in-attitude/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [“We have become so obsessed with getting rid of people who are burdened with the characterization overhead that we have ended up with organizations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/we-have-become-so-obsessed-with-getting-rid-of-people-who-are/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [The more you focus on control, the more likely you're working on a project that's striving to deliver something of relatively minor value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/the-more-you-focus-on-control-the-more-likely-you-re-working-on-a/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [Product quality has almost nothing to do with defects or their lack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/product-quality-has-almost-nothing-to-do-with-defects-or-their-lack/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [“Internal competition has the direct effect of making coaching difficult or impossible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/internal-competition-has-the-direct-effect-of-making-coaching/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [“People under time pressure don’t work better—they just work faster.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/people-under-time-pressure-don-t-work-better-they-just-work-faster/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [“The most obvious defensive management ploys are prescriptive Methodologies (“My people are too dumb to build systems without them” ) and technical interference by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/the-most-obvious-defensive-management-ploys-are-prescriptive/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [“The need for uniformity is a sign of insecurity on the part of management. 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Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-global-population-of-earth-are-involved-in-the-following/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [ \[The Dalai Lama\] told me some years ago, "I've made every concession to China, and I've been as open and tolerant as I could,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/the-dalai-lama-told-me-some-years-ago-i-ve-made-every-concession-to/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) [Brian Reade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-reade/) > [Nature will eventually do what nature has always done. It will respond in a self-stabilizing manner over the long term with moderate variability over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-h-sununu/nature-will-eventually-do-what-nature-has-always-done-it-will-respond/) [John H. Sununu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-h-sununu/) > [Angela Merkel has been focused on the right things. She has focused on the interests of her citizens - and not just in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-trudeau/angela-merkel-has-been-focused-on-the-right-things-she-has-focused-on/) [Justin Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-trudeau/) > [All of the barriers to innovation in the energy sector are arguments for a big commitment to public investment. Only the public sector can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nordhaus/all-of-the-barriers-to-innovation-in-the-energy-sector-are-arguments/) [Ted Nordhaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nordhaus/) > [We have reiterated on many occasions that China wishes to establish and develop long-term, good-neighbourly and friendly relations with all countries in south Asia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-peng/we-have-reiterated-on-many-occasions-that-china-wishes-to-establish/) [Li Peng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-peng/) > [First, climate change is the greatest long-term threat faced by humanity. It could cause more human and financial suffering than the two world wars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-miliband/first-climate-change-is-the-greatest-long-term-threat-faced-by/) [David Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-miliband/) > [Anyone with a long-term partner, anyone with a long-term lover, if that lover dies, you could easily see yourself in a situation where you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-ford/anyone-with-a-long-term-partner-anyone-with-a-long-term-lover-if-that/) [Tom Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-ford/) > [Focusing on the long term and building a great product that is scalable ultimately leads to a great company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-sherman/focusing-on-the-long-term-and-building-a-great-product-that-is/) [Craig Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-sherman/) > [My mom taught me the power of love. I learned to focus on the long-term big picture from my father. His sense of humor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padmasree-warrior/my-mom-taught-me-the-power-of-love-i-learned-to-focus-on-the-long/) [Padmasree Warrior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padmasree-warrior/) > [We've been pretty successful over the years, not necessarily adding series regulars, but just bringing long-term recurring characters. In my opinion, it's sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-korsh/we-ve-been-pretty-successful-over-the-years-not-necessarily-adding/) [Aaron Korsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-korsh/) > [Temporary happiness isnt worth long term pain¦](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/temporary-happiness-isnt-worth-long-term-pain/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am optimistic. But I also know that, with time, I'm beginning to fight issues of aging as well as long-term paralysis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/i-am-optimistic-but-i-also-know-that-with-time-i-m-beginning-to-fight/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) [Browse all 2,065 Long term quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-term/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“in the best organizations, the short term is not the only thing that matters. What matters more is being best. 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