Do your best every time...

·      Don’t distract your people by demanding perfection.

·      The more appropriate goal is excellence in everything they do.

 

Zero tolerance, zero defects, and failure isn’t an option are some of the objectives that companies declare. They’re laudable, and make great sound bites – but like perfection, they are almost never attainable. They set a standard, however, something to strive for, and it’s that standard, when applied to every effort of every person working to achieve it, that drives people to be the best they can be. That’s a motivator, and it’s good for production and morale. But be careful not to set perfection as your goal, because when it isn’t attained, people might feel like they failed. But if they strive to make everything they do as good as it can be, and each result is praised when success is achieved and studied when it falls short, they’ll learn along the way, grow stronger by their experiences, and ultimately achieve excellence. And they’ll feel like they hit it out of the park (or whatever metaphor works for you). The casinos I opened were pretty darn good, but far from perfect. But people loved them, and we felt great with what we accomplished. Motivate your peeps with good goals, recognize their achievements, coach them as needed, and keep them focused on excellence today.

 

Vince Lombardi (1913 – 1970): American football coach and executive in the National Football League (NFL). Lombardi is considered one of the greatest coaches and leaders in the history of all American sports.