No Room for Perfect

I get to work with some wonderful people and brands. One barrier I see many of them face is perfection. Who doesn't want a program or promotion or product to be perfect? But perfect is just a word. It's a direction or aspiration, but not a destination. You can't get there from here. You can't achieve perfection no matter how hard you try.

There are downsides to perfection:
1) It sounds and feels good. Who can argue that you want something perfect? It sounds good and unarguable.
2) It is elusive. Different people view perfection differently, so you'll never get consensus that something is perfect. You still will have to search for it, which will lead to more compromise.
3) It slows or stops progress. Waiting for perfection will take so long that once you think you have achieved it, you have lost the opportunity.

Here's how to deal with perfection:

1) Realize it's unattainable.
2) Look instead to piloting ideas or testing new approaches. Piloting a new program will lead to new ideas and improvements.
3) Trade perfection for speed. By testing or piloting an idea, you can increase the speed of implementation and results dramatically.
4) Trade perfection for progress. If the goal is to make progress, to learn and improve the program while getting results quickly, that beats the pursuit of perfection.


Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com
LaBov Sales Channel
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Tag - you're it

The very best people are not perfect - not even close. But they do solve problems and deal with issues the best they can. That may not sound like much, but it's huge. Why?

Because in the crazy business world we're in, the last thing we need is useless stuff to bring us down, to take our focus off what is most important. The person that lets you know that there's a problem or that a client is disappointed or that there's an internal problem is not helping; they're bringing you and the organization down.

Better that they take ownership and face the issues the best they can, even if the outcome is not perfect. It's not about perfect; it's about ownership.

Barry LaBov
LaBov and Beyond
www.labov.com

It's Not About Perfect, It's About Passion

Ever hear statements like these?

"The client doesn't care when it's done, they just want it perfect."
"I don't want to show my idea to anyone until it's just right."
"I'm new and don't want to make a mistake, so I'll just do what I'm being told to do."

All of the above statements are either untrue or just plain dangerous in business. And, even if we don't subscribe to them, when we hear them, we're tempted to buy in to them and nod our heads.

It's not about perfection. It's about ownership and accountability; it's about making sure what you're doing inspires you and then sharing it with others.

The best performers know:

• That time is always a factor.
• That sharing concepts and ideas to get feedback and input is smart.
• They don't have all the answers, but know people who can help them.
  

If everything you're involved in makes sense to you, and it is what you would do for your brother or sister (meaning you think it's the right thing), and you are willing to be vulnerable to make it even better, then you're almost guaranteed success.

Barry LaBov
CEO, President
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com