Benchmarking Excellence
There is an old saying, "A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor". I cannot imagine truer words to describe the extraordinary challenges of today's business climate. Yet, while a majority
of business leaders keep a steady grip
on the wheel, a rare few sail as if the winds of excellence are perpetually at their back.
What factors come into play for those few? Here are five benchmarks to address:
1. Define your mission. What is the chief objective for your business? Does everyone in the company understand the mission? Are operational standards in place with underlying processes in support? Clarity is key.
2. Collaborate. The new model for teams is collaboration (attorneys and clients, shareholders and boards, marketing and sales, etc.). When stakeholders work together, achieving results based on shared standards sets a sustainable tone.
3. Get the edge. Find out the latest, greatest, most competitive, most responsive players, products, research and services in your category and start making course corrections to align with the best. Take small steps every day and celebrate the milestones.
4. Address the negative. Whomever represents is the negative voice in your sphere, whether an ill-suited executive, a dysfunctional department or reckless business partner, launch a clean-up campaign by addressing it head-on. Put the situation on the front burner by setting deadlines for decisions that make sense, and be prepared to let go of what doesn't work.
5. Self-improvement. Take yourself on as a project. Make a checklist of rewards, goals and objectives. Rotate your thinking by stepping out of your comfort zone, i.e., take up glass-blowing, singing lessons or anything else you can't imagine doing. Embrace learning. Pattern interrupts not only keep us young, but keep the brain elastic too.
