Strive for Improvement

Strive for improvement, and don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

For many of us, there is a tremendous satisfaction in making something perfect. We feel trusted as respected as someone who knows how to do things right.

Make sure you bring out that perfectionism in the RIGHT situations, but not in EVERY situation. Sometimes, we just need it to be “good enough.” And an experienced and competent leader develops good judgment for which situations require the highest standards.

As leaders, make sure you hold your people to the right standards, not impossibly high standards in all things. Explain why that preliminary component does not need an extra ten hours billed to make it perfect—that’s how you blow a budget. But also make sure that your people know when they can’t just “phone it in,” because a potential mistake could lead to expensive or dangerous consequences.

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