Redefining Excellence

Posted on by Scott

Excellence is a term that gets thrown around a lot today. I hear people talking about service excellence, sales excellence, leadership excellence and even operational excellence. The problem is that too many of these people have the wrong idea regarding what excellence really is. More often than not, when someone uses the word “excellence,” they’re really talking about “perfection.” The idea of excellence is used to refer to the epitome of achievement – the highest state of performance.

There’s a problem with that definition of excellence. If you aspire to perfection, you will never reach your goal. You’ll always be frustrated, and so will your employees.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m a firm believer in having goals. But in order for goals to be effective, they have to be attainable. They need to provide a stretch, but they have to be within reach. Attaining such a goal provides a sense of accomplishment and the energy to stretch for the next one.

So I’d like to propose a new definition for “excellence.” Here it is;

“True excellence is rising above what you ‘should’ be to become what you ‘could’ be.”

You see, excellence is not perfection. Excellence is growth. Excellence is reaching a level of performance that’s eluded you in the past. Excellence is accomplishing something that you never have before.

This new definition of excellence says that while perfection is impossible – and we all know it is – the status quo isn’t acceptable. The idea of excellence requires that I move beyond my current state of performance even though it might be acceptable. The organization may say that a certain level of performance is expected – it’s what I should be doing. But a quest for excellence says perhaps I could be doing more than that. Striving for excellence allows me to set goals for improvement, celebrate that success, and then push the boundaries once more. And I’d much rather be excellent than acceptable.

What defines excellence for you?

What defines excellence for your team, department or business?

And what will you do today to achieve true excellence?

Pressed to Death

Posted on by Scott

Three hundred and twenty years ago, Giles Corey was accused of being a wizard, or warlock, during the infamous Salem Witch Trials. Among the accusations were that he had been seen serving sacrament at a gathering of witches and his “spectre” had been witnessed harassing supposedly innocent citizens. Corey refused to admit guilt or proclaim innocence, an act that was required in order for him to stand trial.

In order to force a plea from him, Corey was forced to undergo “pressing.” He was stripped naked and staked to the ground with a large sheet of wood over his torso. Large boulders, some so heavy it took six men to move, were then placed on the board. Over the course of two days, more and more boulders were added, crushing his chest. Steadfastly refusing to answer the court’s accusations, Corey died from the pressing.

Ever feel like you are being pressed to death?

Everyone feels stressed or even somewhat overwhelmed from time to time. But I’m talking about the kind of pressure that weighs down on you so heavily that you can’t move. You can’t think straight. You find yourself immobilized, unable to take action because your mind keeps worrying about the various issues on your plate.

Left unchecked, this kind of pressure can impact your job, your family, your relationships with friends, and even your health.

I don’t claim to be an expert in stress-management, but I’d like to share some of the strategies I use to help relieve the pressure when I feel the weight of the world pressing down on me.

1. I write it out. I’m a list person. I need to see just how big the mountain is before I can tackle it. So I try to keep a master list of projects updated at all times. It’s nothing fancy, just a legal pad where I write down each project and the major steps that need to take place in order to get it completed. Writing things down helps me to organize the chaos in my head that leads to stress and worry.

2. I eliminate it. Sometimes the best answer to relieving stress is to remove the root cause, literally. I can’t tell you how many pet projects I’ve had languishing on my list, causing me angst every time I see how much I haven’t worked on them. Each time I’ve made the decision to cross one off as “not worthy of my stress right now” have been liberating. Some things just aren’t worth the price tag.

3. I delegate it. Sometimes it can be hard to let go of certain projects. For my own sanity, though, I’ve learned to hand off various tasks to other equally or more capable people. This involves a degree of trust and the ability to live with results that may not be quite like you’d prefer, but the sense of relief I gain from getting certain things off of my plate is usually worth it.

4. I build some momentum. Now I’m down to those things that are both worth pursuing and require my personal attention. Some of these are big projects with many steps. It can be intimidating to see just how long that list still is. To help me get started on the things that really matter, I cheat a little. I add a few smaller items to my to-do list – things I’ve already accomplished – and then cross them off. This visual sense of accomplishment often helps give me the mental boost I need to tackle a few of the others.

Unlike Giles Corey, you and I have a choice when it comes to stress. When it feels like a ton of rocks are piled on your chest, you can choose to remove a few. Obviously, my tips apply to work-related stress. There are other, more serious, types of pressure out there and many more ways to alleviate or cope.

Got a great stress-reduction technique? Shoot me an email. I’d love to hear it.

Olympic-sized Inspiration

Posted on by Scott

The Olympic games are always a big deal in the Voland household. We each have our favorite sports and we love learning the back stories on each of the athletes. And while we cheer heartily for the American competitors, we have such a multicultural household that it’s easy to appreciate any outcome.

The Olympics may be over, but the competition in London is just heating up. The 2012 Paralympics started this past week and run through Sunday the 9th. I’m always inspired by the stories of sacrifice and dedication that are so prevalent during the Olympics. But for real inspiration, nothing beats the Paralympics.

Sometimes I get to feeling sorry for myself. Things don’t go the way I planned. Someone I trust lets me down. Circumstances beyond my control set me back in ways I never anticipated.

I feel myself feeling inadequate, unprepared, even handicapped.

Then I watch some of these people in action. And I feel ashamed. Here are people who have overcome setbacks I can’t begin to imagine in order to achieve a level of excellence that’s incredible. They could sure kick my butt! How dare I allow any of my lame excuses keep me from reaching my full potential.

If you haven’t had a chance to see some of these amazing athletes in action, you are definitely missing out. Unfortunately, the Paralympic games aren’t being broadcast on TV here in the states, but you can watch events, both recorded and streamed live, on the internet.

For a little preview, and a lot of inspiration, watch this: