WATER Tip: Quality
December 26th, 2010
Another critical component of Execution Excellence is the ability to not only complete SMART Goals on deadline, but to also do this with true quality on a regular basis. The ability to do so begins with a commitment to quality, is strengthened by becoming clear about what quality looks like (with others if you are working on something that includes other stakeholders), and is further fortified by persistence until the job is done extremely well (rather than giving up before true quality is achieved).
For example, the goal “Take out all trash every Wednesday before 9AM” is more likely to be achieved in quality ways if the person in charge of this goal:
- is committed to doing a quality job,
- asks any others who are also involved for their ideas on true quality, and
- continues to develop a way in which to achieve the goal in quality ways until almost all parties are truly satisfied (please note the “almost all parties” in the last sentence; one cannot please all the people all the time).
On the other hand, if the goal is pursued without these critical components, it is less likely to be completed with true quality. Furthermore, if one such goal is completed at low levels of quality, it becomes much more acceptable to achieve others goals with low quality. Failure to achieve with true quality can quickly spread the Execution Crisis throughout your life and the lives of those around you (in the form of multiple revisions and/or the need for complete “do-overs”). The ability to deliver true Quality is a critical skill associated with spreading Execution Excellence. On the other hand, inability to do so is another powerful contributor to the Execution Crisis.
- NOTE TO THOSE USING THE MISSION FULFILLMENT SYSTEM: A common indicator of high levels of quality is a combination of (a) more SMART Goals achieved that one is truly proud of and/or excited about and (b) fewer instances of time- and energy-sapping revisions or do-overs. For instance, if one consistently achieves the SMART Goal “Take out all trash every Wednesday before 9AM” with true Quality, that person is more likely to be proud of his work and to hear fewer requests for doing his work differently next time or redoing it now (indicating Execution Excellence). Obviously, a lack of quality is a major block to Execution Excellence. It is critical that people be able to achieve their SMART Goals with true Quality; an inability to do so contributes greatly to The Execution Crisis.
- FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT ON THE MISSION FULFILLMENT SYSTEM: Click here to for more information and click here to sign up.
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Article Filed under: 1. WATER Game Scorecard Tips
1 Comment Add your own
1. Lindsey | October 5th, 2014 at 7:44 pm
It amazes me how often quality is forgotten when achieving goals. One statement I heard that really reminds me of the education and execution crisis is that “C’s get degrees.” It amazes me that low quality work, or doing as little as possible, is acceptable to people, especially in something that is supposed to be the foundation of your future. I tend to believe that accomplishing less, but of better quality, is better than accomplishing the entirety of something with poor quality. One time, someone told me that they would make sure to read 3 books a week, in the midst of everything else, and it made me question, how much of it are you actually taking in? Are you just doing it to say you did it or are you doing it in a quality way that brings some benefit? In a world where the milestones are already conditioned into us, such as being “expected” to go to college, get a job, make money, be successful, etc., it is quality that will set one apart from the other. Further than that, though, getting on this track of quality really fuels the fire to achieve even higher quality stuff, to the point where it can even become natural, or at least much easier to set goals that coincide with quality and achieve them. When I was growing up, I was lucky enough to be in an environment that demanded high quality results (though it was very stressful for me at times). I realize now that this really helped me develop a sense of quality, and it’s definitely one of the reasons I am “ahead” of most people my age. My mom never told me that I couldn’t do something, but she always stressed that if I was going to do something, I should at least try to do it well. To this day, that rings true for me, and I will always say it. I have been questioned numerous times on how I have so many “talents”, and it’s because of the quality standard I hold myself to. From hoop dancing to yoga to graduate school work, I imbue quality into every goal I make, and I will never stop looking for ways to improve! While it may be unrealistic to function at 100% all the time, I like to make sure I strive to be as close as I can with every second.
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