Perfectly Flawed
How many times do you end up accepting something that is less than perfect? Probably all day every day!
As leaders it is right we strive to make things right, perfect, absolute – but we all know we can never achieve this in every area. Where it matters, such as safety, or in manufacturing in terms of quality – yes we should, and can achieve excellence.
Often striving for the perfect solution or outcome is either not achievable, or is actually not desirable. The time and effort required to reach this ‘nirvana’ far outweighs the value of a ‘perfect’ solution. Rather we should work to create a momentum, a success, an outcome which is worthy of our efforts and that of our team – even if it is not 100% flawless.
95% is zero
If a construction company are building a property, or an I.T. company installing a new system, it may be 95% complete but until handed over for use, the 95% is worth absolutely nothing to the end user.
It is a challenge for any leader to decide what to live with, what to accept, and what to press ahead with making perfect. Clearly we cannot tolerate the intolerable, but where do we draw the line? When we are working with people the issue of perfection raises its head even more intensely. With all the failings of human frailty and distractions and weaknesses of human health, what can we really expect in terms of high performance and error free achievement?
I suggest we aim for 85% performance from people, taking into account ‘days of disaster’ (colds, hangovers etc); ‘distractions’ (fall-out from their personal life, selfishness, and the ease of access to the Internet) and finally ‘dependence’ (the need to eat, chat and socialise as a real part of feeling included within the work family).
Is 85% acceptable? Well, I believe it’s how this 85% of their time is actually put to good use that counts! If you have created a collective momentum, and are driving individuals to achieve tangible outcomes, you have set the scene. Then, by having clear measures of personal progress, and having instilled within individuals a personal compulsion to achieve great things – you will have done all you can!
Creating a good work culture where success is celebrated, people strive to achieve job satisfaction and you offer rewards for high performance – there will be some in your team who excel, who go the extra mile and deliver a greater success than you would ever believe they were capable of. As much as humans are flawed, inadequate, incapable and frustrating at times, they are also capable of incredible achievements we can all celebrate!
