Embrace Excellence

by Lou Stoops

It seems to me that more and more people are confused as to what it means to be a professional. I've recently noticed that there is a decided lack of interest in doing a superior job. It appears acceptable, on the part of many in our society, to slap things together; to pass off shoddy work as adequate; to slay excellence to get by. Well, that just doesn't cut it!

Some blame it all on too much bottom-line thinking. In other words, to increase profits you've got to cut costs and cut corners. I'm all for fiscal conservation, but I abhor corner-cutting.

People want and expect quality. If a business is to excel, then great care must be taken to insure top quality for the customer.

Here are some simple rules to live by if you plan on staying in business:

  1. Don't do only for you! Business provides goods and services for the betterment of others. In the process of doing your best, you'll be blest. It's always in your best interest to take care of the needs of your customer. There will be no profit without a long-term commitment to quality and customer satisfaction.
  2. Make an effort to create a quality brand. If you have a business, you want people to identify your business with quality, top service, the only place to go. You want your brand, your company image, to stand out above all the others. To accomplish this, you must deliver.
  3. Take care of your people. Business owners have a stewardship responsibility to create a work environment where people feel comfortable in being creative and productive. The tyrant-boss business-owner doesn't make for a happy camp. If you're one of those screaming, frothing-at-the-mouth bosses, then you'll be in for some needless losses.

You'll lose money. Who'll want to deal with someone that treats their people harshly? Not many. It won't take long for asinine behavior to become the talk of the community.

You'll also lose quality. Berated people aren't productive people. Quality of service or product will decline. Also, quality people won't put-up with harsh treatment. They'll take their abilities elsewhere. So wise-up!

These three little rules can drastically affect your business in a positive way. Make a commitment to implement them and watch the bottom-line grow. If we're to remain a first-class country, we've got to be committed to doing a first-class job.