BE RELENTLESS IN THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE

Excellence is a “buzz word” used across all industries to describe the products and/or services they offer. In today’s crowded marketplace, businesses understand that the single determining factor that can make or
break them and can set them apart from their competitors is their “commitment to excellence”. Big brands understand the importance of detail and commitment to excellent service.

However, most times, there isn’t a benchmark or a quantifiable way to measure the excellence that most companies are professing to.

So what is excellence?

Excellence is not a place. It’s a process. It is not about setting goals, it’s about having grit. It is not about meeting standards, it’s about raising them.

Excellence is defined as “a talent or quality which is unusually good and so surpasses ordinary standards. It is a continuously moving target that can be pursued through actions of integrity” (Wikipedia).

When I take on a certain role or a project, I start with the end in mind. I know my KPI (key performance Indicator) and then embark on 2 things. First, I increase the KPI that I need to meet. Second, I devise a plan as to how I will get there.

Why excellence matters?

You might ask, why do I set a higher target for myself? Why do I need to complicate my own life?

I have always believed that if your goals/ dreams don’t scare us, they aren’t big enough. I don’t set higher goals “just in case” I don’t achieve it. I set higher goals because I challenge myself to exceed my own goals, competence, and expectations. I set higher goals because I know I can outperform myself every time. I know I wasn’t created for average. None of us are. But very few of us are willing to walk the extra mile, to raise our own game and to put in the extra effort. We settle for “good enough”. as the author James C. Collins said, “Good is the enemy of great. and that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great. Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life.”

If I settle for good enough, I will never be able to achieve my maximum potential. and if I don’t achieve my maximum potential, I will fall short of the purpose I was created for and all the greatness that is supposed to be manifested through me. how to achieve excellence?

Excellence takes being single-minded.

This involves having a clear 360- degree comprehensive plan before executing it. planning at this stage requires not just an action plan and strategy. We need to have a holistic view. We need to take into consideration several key factors including what the customers want, where our competitors are, where the industry is heading, how we want to raise the standard and how and when we want to get there. Once we have a plan in place and once it’s approved by our management, we need to be focused to a point that all we see are possibilities, not obstacles.

Excellence requires being relentless in the pursuit of it. There have been countless times I have been told that what I set out to achieve isn’t “possible”. But I have never allowed that to deter me. If anything, I use it as fuel to my fire and I imagine having the same conversation with the same person after I have achieved it. In the recent past, I worked on a deal which was extremely complex and even before I started work on it, I was told I wasn’t “realistic”. I knew my plan already included market research and insights which supported my goals (which was over and above the company’s goals). Needless to say, when we are trying to do something unprecedented it is not going to be easy. Breakthrough is often preceded by breakdowns. Champions aren’t created from comfort zones so I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. It took several months of hard work and being relentless. I had a few naysayers along the way who told me to “give up” but I am pleased I didn’t let anyone or anything deter me.
I finally managed to achieve the results I had committed to. having the same conversation with the same person after the pendulum swung was quite satisfying, to say the least.

Excellence knows no compromises. We need to be committed and disciplined to the process as much as we are to the outcome. Many people mistake excellence with perfectionism. the difference between the two is that “Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralizing.” (harriet Braiker). excellence is about doing the right thing. perfectionism is about doing things right.

When we strive for excellence, we don’t cut corners and we don’t compromise on anything. We don’t compromise on integrity, efforts or standards.

It’s not an easy journey. But is it worth it?

Absolutely YES.

So, are you ready for excellence?