"(Howard) Hughes never learned how to convert his knowledge to practical application. Instead he sought a perfection that assured failure." - From Empire: The Life, Legend and Madness of Howard Hughes by Donald L. Bartlett & James B. Steel
How many times have you heard someone (it may have been you) proclaim or complain that he/she is a perfectionist? You may have noticed that going for perfection is a fool's game. You simply cannot win when you set perfection as your standard.
There may be rare and unusual situations where perfection is assumed to be an appropriate standard. Frankly, I can't think of one - no, not even life and death situations such as heart surgery demand perfection in the process. Each stitch does not have to be sewn perfectly in order to affect the outcome. Perfection is present in the ultimate result, as evident in the patient's survival or death, not in the process.
When "perfection" is the goal it is usually out of an exaggerated desire to be right, to avoid criticism or risk. The focus is on "how am I doing?" rather than on producing a specific outcome. Excellence, on the other hand, is a way of life. It is the context in which high achievers and peak performers produce and contribute to the quality of life. High achievers and peak performers get things done by taking action looking for appropriate outcomes and measuring their success based on the quantity and quality of their results.
The bad news is that being a human being means we have the abilities and the failings of human beings. We make mistakes. We get tired. We get distracted. We fail to communicate clearly and accurately. When we set perfection as our goal, all of our actions are based on attempts to conquer our natural human limits with little or no intention on the ultimate outcome. The search for perfection limits our ability to act meaningfully.
Acting in accordance with standards of excellence allows us to produce superb results and opens the door to experimentation and creativity.
Ruth Zanes has been a Business, Career and Personal Success Coach since 1985. Her broad range of experience prior to coaching includes consultant, business ownership and corporate executive for some of the world's largest corporations. Contact Ruth at: http://www.unlimitedresourcesinc.com
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
The American Business Journals produces a Book of Lists each... Read More
Generous Donor RefusedPicture this. You are a fund development director... Read More
Are you involved in projects that seem to go nowhere... Read More
You may have heard about the "summer slowdown". You may... Read More
Performance and behaviour management is by far the most difficult... Read More
Snowflakes are beautiful!For the Winter Holiday sales season handcrafted snowflakes... Read More
Exactly what is CRMThe idea itself is nothing new; its... Read More
Workplace ConflictConflict is an inevitable part of business life and... Read More
In a classic business-to-business print ad from the late 50's... Read More
While there's no easy answer to this question, there are... Read More
You've probably heard of focus groups. It's a tool that... Read More
Imagine increasing your business earnings by 30, 40, or 50%.... Read More
TIME, MONEY, HASSLE - You can make a sale on... Read More
Business development is important for every business and refers to... Read More
Leadership, like class, is hard to define, but easy to... Read More
Compounding the problem are two myths regarding measures of competency... Read More
So everyone thought you were crazy when you announced 6... Read More
Because of corporate downsizing, many people have been laid-off or... Read More
No matter what you do, it seems, your employees do... Read More
Design and Implementation of a new Sales & Marketing campaign... Read More
Remember in the last message we talked about your directional... Read More
In 2000 a computer distributor hired me to help them... Read More
You've heard this before: There were four people named Everybody,... Read More
I just finished a phone call with a potential client... Read More
"We're in the relationship business?...airplanes are what we use to... Read More
I have received a number of requests for advice from... Read More
The elements involved in building a sales force, especially one... Read More
One of the most asked questions I get is how... Read More
Sex, Drugs & Rock-n-RollHere's the Scenario...You're at a trade show.... Read More
Many people believe that the main reason for representatives leaving... Read More
One of the major issues that arises in managing a... Read More
This week's article is my response to a question by... Read More
As a previous owner of a Franchise I know the... Read More
Selling. Cold calls, introductions, interviews, appointments, proposals, referrals, call cycles,... Read More
You're a small company with a good product. You are... Read More
I have searched for a new way to increase the... Read More
Where is our success? Although there have been improvements, over... Read More
I don't even like saying the word d---------g. I have... Read More
To put it mildly most companies sales forecasting just isn't... Read More
Business development is important for every business and refers to... Read More
"We're in the relationship business?...airplanes are what we use to... Read More
Targeting is the process of selecting high potential customer accounts... Read More
Imagine increasing your business earnings by 30, 40, or 50%.... Read More
The Cash to Cash Cycle Part Three of SeriesWe're sprinting... Read More
So everyone thought you were crazy when you announced 6... Read More
One of the major issues that arises in managing a... Read More
There are four primary activities that successful salespeople engage in... Read More
If your letter writing and phone calls have all failed... Read More
Many people today simply prefer the convenience of paying by... Read More
Here's the Scenario...You're at a trade show. Out of town.... Read More
It is very easy to fall into a trap with... Read More
So you have a boss who dumps all over you... Read More
While there's no easy answer to this question, there are... Read More
Compounding the problem are two myths regarding measures of competency... Read More
I just got off the phone with Susan. She is... Read More
Standard metrics and KPI's (Key Performance Indicators) are created usually... Read More
Help buyers discover the answers they need to understand and... Read More
I recall a heated discussion with a sales director some... Read More
We all agree one of the most important parts of... Read More
Help your organization grow by assessing the right indicators in... Read More
In the 30-plus years I spent working in advertising and... Read More
How high is your sales trust factor?Is it higher than... Read More
In today's 24/7 driven business word, accountability is becoming a... Read More
Every dollar you discount is a dollar of pure profit... Read More
That we live in a time of relentless and pervasive... Read More
Of the many mistakes small business owners make, a big... Read More
Sales Management |