As a CEO, manager or business owner it's tempting to think that it's your job to make things run perfectly. After all, isn't setting standards of excellence one of the hallmarks of success?
Well, sort of.
The traditional thinking goes like this: A leader's job is to set high expectations, hold their team accountable and make sure they have the tools they need to get the job done. It's a pretty simple formula, and after 20 years as a business consultant I can promise you that it works.
But after being inside hundreds of organizations, I've noticed something more. There's a subtle yet distinct emotional difference between good organizations and great ones. And it goes much deeper than clearly-written performance expectations or perfect project management.
In good organizations people know WHAT to do; in great organizations they're excited about WHY.
You can lock your management team in a hotel for an entire weekend plowing through flow charts, spreadsheets and data. But, until people understand the direct impact that their job has on other real live human beings, you'll never get anything more than "meets expectations."
Here's why:
The WHAT of management is about aligning people against measurable business outcomes. And much like a home where mom monitors the kids' chore chart on the fridge, if it's done consistently, you'll get pretty good results.
Sure, it's better than working for a psycho jerk. But at the end of the day, how many times can you make the toilet sparkle or turn out a zero-defect product before you start to feel like you're just going through the motions?
However, great leaders -- the kind people are willing to follow to the ends of the earth -- go beyond the WHAT and help people understand the WHY. They tap into the deep desire that we all have to be part of something bigger than ourselves.
Make no mistake, excellent leaders expect the best and they put systems in place to ensure that they get it. But flawless execution is the means; it's not the end.
Rather than simply telling their team what perfect performance should look like, they go further, and they paint a picture of how their work impacts others.
It's about igniting the feelings behind the facts and it's a concept that applies to any business, no matter the size or structure.
For example, my husband owns a mid-size manufacturing company that makes signs -- neon signs, pole signs, movie theater signs, stadium signs, car dealer signs and the channel letters you see in strip malls.
Two key measurements in the sign business are zero defects and quick turnaround time. After months of improving the company's systems and streamlining its operation, they were finally beating industry averages. Yet it was a struggle to maintain. It was like mom with the chore chart all over again; if he didn't constantly remind and reinforce, the performance dipped.
But then we heard the story about the spa ladies and it changed everything.
It was a Christmas gathering of businesswomen and two ladies stood up to announce that their long-anticipated dream of owning a day spa was finally coming true. Choking back tears they described their big moment. "We stood there as the crane lifted our sign into place, and we just looked at each other and cried. After five years, we had actually done it!" Their dream had become a reality, and nothing symbolized it more than their sign.
Well, you can probably guess what happened next. My husband no longer runs a "sign company"; he runs an organization that "helps make people's dreams come true."
Yes, it seemed hokey at first, and telling the blue-collar, ball-cap-wearing, snuff-carrying sign guys that they were a dream factory was a bit intimidating. But when a production crew gets misty-eyed as their boss describes the Rita's Frozen Custard installation -- complete with her cheering family on the lawn -- you know you've tapped into something much bigger than meeting your quota.
Performance expectations and production measurements may be the WHAT; but the personal impact your work has on others is the WHY and true leadership is about connecting the WHAT with the WHY.
Increased sales, improved turn-around times and lower costs are perfectly lovely performance measurements. But they become positively inspiring when you know what a difference they make in other people's lives.
Every business has its touch points. Trust me, if we found them in the sign business they exist in yours; and it's the job of the leader to call them out.
It doesn't matter what you're trying to accomplish, be it billions of dollars in profits or simply a clean house, trying to make people adhere to your version of perfection never works over the long haul. They may go along -- especially if you're the one signing their paycheck or doling out their allowance -- but, unless they possess some unique internal drive, they're not going to do much beyond checking off the tasks you've assigned.
But if you can serve up performance expectations in the context of how they positively impact others, you'll be amazed at how hard people are willing to work.
Real leadership isn't about trying to make people do things perfectly. It's about helping your team have personal impact on others.
So forget perfect, make it personal, and watch your people soar.
Lisa Earle McLeod is a syndicated columnist, author, speaker and business consultant. For more about her work- www.ForgetPerfect.com