Posts Tagged ‘Excellence’

There is one particular aspect of the American way of life that I really enjoy, and that is the fact that it is expected, by those who serve you, that you not only pay them for their service, but that you always add some extra money to the bill in the form of a tip.

Now for those of us who live in Australia, this is not a normal practice.

However, at the end of my trip this time, I needed to spend an hour in the lobby of my hotel as I waited for the shuttle bus, that was booked to take me to the airport. It was then that I noticed the bellman for the first time. He had a great attitude and seemed to make everybody he served laugh. At one point he even did a little jig on the hotel floor. I appreciated that, and I know that the rest of his customers did too.

He was somewhat surprised though as I thrust some dollars into his hand before leaving the hotel foyer. He asked me, ‘What was that for?’ I responded, ‘For making me happy.’ In my books this fellow was not just receiving a tip for having a great attitude. He was TIP-TOP.

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Exceptional service is service that is out of the ordinary and relates to or forms an exception. It is unusual,remarkable and superior.

Exceptional products stand out from the crowd. They perform at a higher level, last longer, give more value for the dollar, provide comfort or convenience to our lives and are the ones that we will purchase time and time again.

Exceptional people are the type of people that I like to hang around. They are givers. They are achievers.They speak good words. They never quit. They pursue excellence in all their endeavours and choose to walk the extra mile while smiling the largest smile.

These people are exclusive because they are an exception.

Their lives are ‘an exception to the rule’ because they rule their lives differently to the mass of humanity who choose to follow the crowd.

And that, I propose, is what makes them exceptional…

The older I get the more I expect excellence from my own life, from those who work for me and from those who work around me.

Where would McDonalds be today if they let 15 year olds flip a burger any way they’d like, without the systems and without the training?

The major reason we fail to see consistent excellence in businesses and organisations is because there is often a failure in the systems area. Quite often it’s not a people problem. It’s a system problem. And that means that there is a leadership problem.

Fix the system, train the people to use the system and excellence will remain constant. Continue to review, analyse, check that system and you can expect only one thing – and that is excellence.

So many leaders blame their followers for the problems that occur, but I’m a firm believer in the fact that ‘the buck stops with me’. If something’s not working down the bottom then there is something that needs to be corrected at the top.

And one way to make sure all is well is to conduct surveys – to allow your staff or members to communicate without fear of recrimination.

I’ve been known to ask my staff….’Give me the good, the bad and the ugly…’ and when the ugly has been delivered we have set about immediately to turn the ugly into beautiful. If my staff win, I win and we all win. There is no room for ego here.

But getting back to surveys, here’s one I handed out to my staff recently..

1. Do you believe that your current role in OE Design fits your strengths? If so how? If not, how could we help you with this?
2. Do you feel that you are given enough liberty in your role to be creative and innovative? If so how? If not how?
3. Do you feel that the systems in place for your role in the company are working? If so how? If not how?
4. Do you have any suggestions for what would help you do your job better?
5. Do you receive sufficient support from the leadership within the company? If so how? If not how?
6. Do you have any suggestions that would help your department do their job better?
7. Is there something that really bugs you at OE Design? If so, please offer a solution that you feel would help us squash that bug together?
8. What do you love about working for OE Design?
9. Do you feel that you have received enough communication throughout the year so that you can take ownership of the vision for OE Design – The Web Designers? Or can we help in anyway to make you feel more part of the team?
10. If there was one thing that could help you do your job better and make your job more satisfying, what would it be?
11. Do you have any other things that are not covered in the above 10 questions that you would like to suggest or raise?

The responses were awesome and now I’m armed with great material to help my people become even better at what they are already doing.

Good enough? No we’re heading for OUTSTANDING!

Exceptional service is service that is out of the ordinary and relates to or forms an exception. It is unusual, remarkable and superior.

Exceptional products stand out from the crowd. They perform at a higher level, last longer, give more value for the dollar, provide comfort or convenience to our lives and are the ones that we will purchase time and time again.

Exceptional people are the type of people that I like to hang around. They are givers. They are achievers. They speak good words. They never quit.

They pursue excellence in all their endeavours and choose to walk the extra mile while smiling the largest smile.

These people are exclusive because they are an exception.

Their lives are ‘an exception to the rule’ because they rule their lives differently to the mass of humanity who choose to follow the crowd.

And that, I propose, is what makes them exceptional…

I hate ruts. They’re like graves for dead men. I’m alive. And when confronted with anything that looks like a grave I hire a front end loader and demolish it.

I hate restrictions. They stop me from pushing ahead in the pursuit of my dreams. I break restrictions with my bare hands.

I hate the words, ‘You can’t do that. You can’t go there. You’re not qualified.’ I bite those words between my teeth and declare defiantly, ‘Watch me!’

I hate impossibility. I look at it square in the face and breathe all over it, ‘Nothing is impossible to me because I have a belly full of belief.’

I hate ignorance. It is the blight of all the humanity who struggle to make ends meet, day in and day out. I make it my mission to acquire knowledge, seek out mentors and share what I’m learning with others as fast as I learn it.

I hate conformity. When anyone tries to stick me in a box, I kick it out. I refuse to be hemmed in because I’m a free spirit with my own dream and my own method of pursuing that dream and its fulfilment.

ACCEPT NOTHING LESS THAN WHAT YOU EXPECT

l love challenges. They are an opportunity to draw out my hidden strengths that would have never been found if trouble hadn’t darkened my door.

I love mistakes. They are my teacher. I learn from them. They cause me to stop and evaluate in order to make corrections so that I don’t repeat them time and time again.

I love roadblocks. They cause me to become more and more creative. Because I know that there is a way, I will find a way.

I love storms. For every storm there is always a rainbow to be found. And at the end of every rainbow there is a pot of gold.

I love the words ‘impossible’ and ‘quit’. I get to prove them wrong time and time again as I rip them out of my dictionary.

I love confrontation. It allows me to walk graciously while maintaining my integrity and holding onto my dignity.

EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE ACCEPT NOTHING LESS THAN BEST

So, to become an exception, or to live an exceptional life, one needs to live differently.

It comes down to habits.

I recently picked up a book about the world’s best swimmer Ian Thorpe and in reading about his daily training schedule it didn’t take a genius to work out why he is so good.

Apart from him being blessed with huge feet, that must act like the propellor of a ship, he has followed up his passion with years of dedication and hard work.

These habits have flowed over and into his ability to become a champion in his chosen field of endeavour.

If you desire to be exceptional, in whatever field you choose, then you too must refine your daily habits and consistently apply them to your daily life.

For me to improve as a writer, I must write every day. I must read a whole lot more than I write. I must study other writers. I must be diligent and consistent. I must be passionate and that passion increases as I work harder and get to know my subject better and better through use.

Don’t be satisfied with anything less than exceptional. Rise to the challenge to be the best you, you can possibly be. Accept nothing but the best from yourself, starting today.

Motivational Quote: Except you live exceptionally you will never live an exceptional life.

I recently had the following information shared with me at a seminar on how to live a life of excellence. So let me pass it on to you…

1. Build with purpose and passion.
2. Identify problems and search for answers.
3. Be original by learning from others successes. But at the same time pursue your own.
4. Help build community wherever you go.
5. Venture from your comfort zone.
6. Respect each other and yourself.
7. Think out of the box.
8. Deliver more than you promise.
9. Take risks and have fun.

And as Earl Nightingale said, ‘Excellence always sells.’