Question Answered - Excellence is a Habit
Recently, I was talking with Clarie who contacted us after reviewing my quote contained in a previous Enlightened RTC blog post. The quote was “For people and organizations, Excellence and Effective Execution are two sides of the same coin.” She acknowledged that the quote really made her think and wanted to probe a bit further in our discussion. Fundamentally, she wanted to know, “What is Excellence?”
We thought that some of the key points covered during the discussion with Clarie would be valuable to a broader audience; therefore, we are focusing this article on that exchange of ideas.
When covering a topic about Excellence, terms like “Top-tier performance” or the results of the “Top 10%” may typically arise in the conversation. We may have visions of athletes who perform outstanding acts of physical ability or companies who are market leaders for the quarter. That perspective focuses on the outcome of performance or simply what is highlighted on a scoreboard. However, that lens does not tell the full story. As we look across our industries and the marketplace, the people and companies that we really deem as exceptional achieve differentiated heights of performance repeatedly. By combining exceptional results and the ability to sustain that level of performance over time, we begin to shine a light on this topic.
In our conversation, I shared with Clarie that a building block to achieving the two outcomes just mentioned is discipline. Yes, through the phone, I could feel her weighted pause after making that pronouncement. However, I asked her to hear me out. Then, I provided my definition of “Discipline” which is “a series of repeatable actions and behaviors that drive a consistent level of high performance results.” After repeating my definition a couple of times, we dissected it and discussed its various elements. Using the insights from this part of our conversation, we were able to answer her original question. “Excellence is a habit!” The operating routines that we complete daily and weekly are critical. Basically, the ability to effectively execute a simple set of high impact actions and behaviors regularly will make a major difference in the consistent delivery of superior results.
Similar to this discussion with Clarie, we enjoy helping business professionals who are seeking excellence for themselves and their teams. In particular, we work together with our Executive Coaching Engagement clients to develop an Individualized Coaching Action Plan (ICAP); this plan is a roadmap that inspires confidence in the actions clients can take to bend their personal performance curve. We welcome you to learn more about our Executive Coaching, Professional Development Training and other professional services by visiting enlightenedrtc.com. If we can help you or your organization, then contact us and let’s talk.
by
Wayne Spooner, Managing Director
Enlightened Research, Training and Consulting, LLC