Excellence only – and excellence always. If it sounds like corporate heaven…it is, says Mario Pretorius in his latest management tip.Make angels of your people – but give them deadlines… and make sure that they are met. There only shame in the phrase “I tried” he adds. GK
There is no excellence in effort, only excellence in results.
Of all our TeleMasters business principles, this is the most effective one. It embodies a host of hopes and fears, sacrifice and achievement – and became the ultimate arbiter of worth to the company.
There’s shame on the phrase “I tried”. It extends to all its variants: “I left a message for him: ‘I couldn’t crack that”, “I am waiting for her to get back”, “We’re busy on it”, etc.
A directive must be given with a deadline. If it sounds unreasonable to the executor, he should raise the concern then and a decision must be made. At the same time a priority must be assigned (All my delegations seem to be top priority which is unfair to Leanie!).
Those are the ground rules: achievement must follow. Our rule is that if stuck, escalate! When the sun sets and home calls, all tasks must be completed or be in an advanced state of completion within the deadlines and priorities. The mundane and the urgent are separated; new tasks and issues may proceed and disrupt. But, like the African proverb: the grass never stops growing and the cows will never stop eating: the work is never finished.
Learn from nature: Lions don’t waste effort.
It is imperative that the expectation of results, as required in time be firmly established as non-negotiable. Any lapse, and you may escalate the task to someone else with the resultant loss of confidence in the under-achiever. Thus the pecking order is altered and egos are at play, too. That internal who’s who is far stronger than your relationship with those you pay every month.
Excellence only, excellence always, with first-time results. It sounds like corporate and enterprise heaven, and it is. Make angels of your people. Help them understand their potential and worth this way.
This tip is an extract from the manuscript of “The Unconventional CEO: Common sense outside of conventional Management thinking” (by Mario Pretorius).
