The problem with the pursuit of excellence is there is no done, only better.
Done satisfies. Move on. Yes!
There is no check box in the pursuit of excellence.
The second challenge with the pursuit of excellence is feedback. Excellence demands feedback but feedback begins in the past. Beware, the past sucks in like black holes.
Danger of “should have”:
“Should have” is the language of regret. “You should have…,” puts down.
“Should have” corrects the past; something impossible to do. “We should have…,” belittles past wisdom, effort, and passion.
Should-have-leaders honor critics and, in so doing, create more critics. “You’re right, I should have…,” is an invitation for second-guessers, nay-sayers, and critics. You get what you honor.
Next time:
“Next time” is better than “should have.”
“Next time” honors participants and ignores critics.
Next-time-leaders:
- Honor effort, learning, and progress.
- Build platforms for future initiatives.
- Look to the future more than the past.
- Instill hope and show confidence.
- Ask, “What did we learn?”
No “next time”:
Critics judge, they never focus on next time. They don’t add value.
Critics sit on the sidelines, seldom offering useful suggestions. They tear down.
If the best you can do is point out failures in others,
you’re probably failing yourself.
Participants, on the other hand, build the future by offering insightful evaluations coupled with positive suggestions.
Momentum:
“Should have” ties to the past. “Next time” maintains momentum.
Bonus tip:
“What worked” and “What didn’t work” is better than “What went wrong?”.
How does the pursuit of excellence turn negative in organizations?
How can leaders pursue excellence in positive ways?
Tags: Feedback, Leadership Development, leadership journey, organizational success
November 13, 2012 at 6:53 am |
Dan, great post as usual. The “should have” reminds me of the “parent/child” management of old, it is demeaning and almost mean spirited. I’ve learned over the years to focus on the future and ask questions such as the one you listed, “What did we learn that we can take forward?” One of my mentors consistently asks quesitons, never offers solutions. That is why I so respect this individual.
November 13, 2012 at 7:23 am |
Thanks Don. I enjoy the addition of the take forward component to the question…Nice
November 13, 2012 at 7:25 am |
We use Plus/Delta. The Delta is what can we do to move forward. It must begin with a verb to show the action involved.
November 13, 2012 at 9:08 am |
Thanks for adding Plus/Delta. I appreciate the what worked well/what could work better frame work. Thanks for adding it.
November 13, 2012 at 7:28 am |
That is all I used to do : should’ve, would’ve, and could’ve! Nowadays, I’m living the life I always dreamed of without demanding complete perfection or excellence
) Thanks for a very insightful post 
)
November 13, 2012 at 9:10 am |
Thanks for sharing your story. Here’s to joyful, passionate pursuit.
November 13, 2012 at 8:01 am |
Good post as always.
The best ways in which an organization can opursue excellence is as you have said, ask the right questions. If you “usual” questions aren’t working, you need to ask everyone involved: a) what did we learn, b) where do we go from here, what do we do next. The answers lie in your expectation for concrete and actionable suggestions
Perceived “failures” should all be viewed as opportunities to learn something.
Martina
November 13, 2012 at 9:12 am |
Learning opportunities! The forwardfacing way to deal with our past, whether in failure or success.
Thank you for sharing your insights.
November 13, 2012 at 8:52 am |
“Could have,” “would have,” and “should have” are all words that can express regret! Great post!
November 13, 2012 at 9:13 am |
You could have written your comment differently.
November 13, 2012 at 9:01 am |
Dan, you are so right. With the pursuit of excellence it is so easy to focus on the moment (the should have; the past) and not to focus on the journey (the next time; the future). I think it is important for leaders to frequently remind everyone that excellence is a journey and each attempt gets us closer to where we want to be as long as we are moving forward.
November 13, 2012 at 9:21 am |
Thank you for your insights. I appreciate you stopping in. Thanks also for the twitter support.
November 13, 2012 at 9:12 am |
When we (Hewitt Associates) were training managers, we’d emphasize two things about conversations re: performance: future orientation and positive attitude. The manager conveys that her major focus is on what happens in the future and does it without a blaming tone for what happened in the past. If she does those two things, she can talk about what went well and didn’t go well in a non-adversarial way that leads to better performance in the future.
November 13, 2012 at 9:24 am |
Wonderful.. Thanks for including useful language like nonadversarial.. In order to maintain positive environments we must remain positive.
November 13, 2012 at 9:15 am |
Dan,
I like using the feedback questions “What went well?” and “What would you do differently?”. Both of these are focusing on how to improve moving forward which is the point of making changes in what you do.
Great post! Thanks for the thought provoking ideas.
Carol
November 13, 2012 at 9:25 am |
Thanks for the good word Carol. And thanks for adding important questions.
November 13, 2012 at 9:48 am |
Maybe one way to look at it is to focus on the journey and not the destination. Excellence can also be found in how you move forward. Not just in where you got to. If we have an excellent journey, and it isn’t over yet, that’s a good thing.
November 13, 2012 at 9:52 am |
Thanks for the journey metaphor, Glenn. And thank you for stopping in again. Cheers
November 13, 2012 at 10:09 am |
You’ve really hit the nail on the head here, Dan. This was a valuable reminder to me today, thank you. Those engaged in the pursuit of excellence, who recognize mishaps as valuable lessons, versus the perfectionist who finds remorse and negativity in these “blemishes” are happier and more productive participants. Every strength has it’s dark side, eh?
November 13, 2012 at 10:13 am |
Monica, you share powerful words that have been true of me, too. Adding perfectionism to the conversation opens a new door of exploration. Great add.
November 13, 2012 at 10:14 am |
As always, you’ve spoken about something that I can use not just in business or my profession, but in regular life as well.
November 13, 2012 at 10:18 am |
Thanks Liz… I use the ideas here both personally and professionally… Moms and dads can use this stuff.
November 13, 2012 at 10:38 am |
Not to mention husbands and wives! XD
November 13, 2012 at 10:17 am |
Excellence understands how to avoid condemnation and still admit the need to change!
November 13, 2012 at 10:19 am |
KaChing!
November 13, 2012 at 10:34 am |
Reblogged this on The Written Nerd and commented:
Something we can use in our real life relationships, and not just in business. Put away your inner curmudgeon today!
November 13, 2012 at 10:40 am |
Too funny… My wife jokingly called me a curmudgeon this morning … I love how that word sounds.
November 13, 2012 at 11:13 am |
Ah…. the art of deconstructive conflict…. Heading off to our local community college to teach this workshop this morning. Feelings of syncronicity. Great post, Dan.
November 13, 2012 at 4:34 pm |
Best wishes in your work with the community college…
November 13, 2012 at 11:49 am |
I find it extremely frustrating to be told what I should have done, or what my team should have done – with the benefit of more information, hindsight, and time – by people who weren’t active participants in the action.
The army’s After Action Review process is much more constructive. It is done by team members themselves immediately after action, and uses 4 questions:
1) What was supposed to happen?
2) What actually happened?
3) Why was there a difference?
4) What can we learn from that?
This approach is fact-based, improvement-focused, and non-judgmental, without a time lag to blur memories. There may be times when it results in deep self-reflection, and even in apologies and behavioral change, and other times when it results in high-fives. Learning from the group’s After Action Review can recorded and shared across the organization.
In our organization we do a lot of similar debriefing/learning as we work to develop a new technology. The interchange is constructive, and people have learned to challenge each other deeply in order to get better results. I have wonderful people working for me, in fact the most cohesive and productive team I’ve ever managed. I firmly believe that the constant drive to achieve a common purpose in what is a very difficult undertaking has been very good for us. We do not gloss over setbacks and failures, nor spend much time celebrating successes before moving on to the next issue. As a result, work is tiring, but exhilirating. We take as much as 3 months to hire people, are extremely picky about hiring both character and performance, but have a great team. Our turnover rate is under 5%.
On the flip side, I was recently part of a conversation that went completely in the opposite direction. A very senior person in the organization reviewed recent performance, was frustrated, threatened very seriously to fire any person who made a mistake during an upcoming event, even if unintentional. Fortunately, the executives listening to that person did not pass the threat down the line, and it had no consequences on the tired and hardworking people who were actually getting the work done.
Of three approaches (1) blame and threats (2) glossing over issues and complacency (3) after-action review and communication with deep change, I believe only the 3rd will produce organizational learning of lasting value.
November 13, 2012 at 4:38 pm |
Marc, thank you for your story and insights. Great stuff!
One take away for me is the danger of all or nothing. We force people to posture, even lie, when their job is on the line.
November 13, 2012 at 1:04 pm |
A great one there! so precise, seems simple but truly loaded with priceless tactics of attaining true excellence…. The knowledge is not only deep but also pratical and factual. Good job, Dan! i ll be expecting so much more, but to the conclusion paragraph, i believe more ought to have been added to the bonus point, than your rheotrical approach, but still ok, only i believe you would possibly give us more than that, as you say”there is no done in excellence” and i ll had there still so much more.
November 13, 2012 at 4:39 pm |
Thanks for the good word and the challenge, Pastor Ben… nicely done.
November 13, 2012 at 3:25 pm |
I have used the framework of “Continuous continuous improvement” as an anchor point for this excellence process. Got the idea from The Department of Redundancy Department.
And it is a useful construct about never really being done, since the Round Wheels of today will become the Square Wheels of tomorrow.
But the REALITY is that there can be little self-satisfaction in having completed something that you know will still need completing. That makes it a tough existence, as you point out.
November 13, 2012 at 4:41 pm |
Always a please Dr. Scott…always.
Thanks for driving home the point again.
November 13, 2012 at 11:33 pm |
Continuous improvement is always judged by how you approach failure. As long as “failure = growth”, then only positive things can come out of it.
December 8, 2012 at 1:51 pm |
So, the more helpful question would be “Is it better?” rather than, “Is it excellent?” I interpret your words to mean that “better” can be a definable point of progress worthy of celebration within a process of improvement until “good enough” or until “excellence” is declared. Am I correct here? Thanks for an insightful article!
December 8, 2012 at 2:12 pm |
Thanks for your comment… seems you’ve captured what I was getting at.