Just as we must be careful of the words we use with ourselves, so as not to unintentionally sabotage our own motivation; we must also be careful with the words we choose to exemplify our commitment to excellence inside our businesses. There is a big difference between a goal of being the best and one of constantly improving and learning. On the surface one might guess that being the best is always the best option, but I beg to differ. The difference is in the mindset. Being the best is a place to get to while always improving is a place to come from.
If your goal is to be the best, then what is there for you to strive for once you’ve reached that plateau? In the 20th century, being the best was a title much easier to hang onto once attained because change occurred at a much slower pace. Today, you could loose such a tile in a day from one disgruntled customer who was savvy enough and creative enough to reach one million viewers on you You Tube with a story of how he was wronged by your firm. And the kicker . . . it doesn’t even matter if it is true.
If your goal is to be the best, then how do you and your employees feel when you are not the best? You probably feel as though you are failing in some respect. Sure, that bit of anger and resentment toward the one who is the “best” may fuel some extra time at the office, but it is also affecting your mindset and your ability to really come up with that next great idea that might in fact land you top of the heap.
If you goal is to be in a state of constantly improving and forever learning, then it really doesn’t matter who is perceived as the best on any given day, you and your team are always looking for that next edge. There is no anger, no resentment, and no feelings of failure to cloud anyone’s mind, judgment, or motivation.
Excellence comes from doing the ordinary things extraordinarily well with energy and enthusiasm as if they were the most important job in the world. This is the key to excellence. Everything counts no matter how big or small a role it plays. Little things add up to big things. Your energy when you complete the ordinary will dictate your energy with the extraordinary opportunities come your way. It’s the same reason why some people seem to get all the opportunities? They don’t really; they are simply ready to greet them when they arrive.
Never loose your desire to learn, or tire of improving yourself ~ from artist Jane Farr who has joined Ancora Imparo (Italian for I am still learning) and Kaizen (Japanese for being in a continual state of improvement) in the beautiful drawing above.
