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Is perfect good enough for you? |
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TeamBiz Editor | Many entrepreneurs think that being in business is about being perfect. But, as the author of "Perfection infection" article says, perfectionists are not necessarily highly achievers. In a world where raising the bar became a way of living, where do you draw the line? How would you know that you are doing enough to compete successfully in the market? |
Last edited Jun 2, 2009, 10:52am by author | |
 | If you asked me, I would say there isn't enough attention to detail in most services and products. It seems to me that too many use the "oh, you're such a perfectionist" line to defend their own sloppiness. Ok, I'll admit it: I am a perfectionist. First time I heard "it doesn't have to be perfect" included in the list of requirements from a client, I was baffled. Every time I hear that I can hardly refrain from asking "exactly which part of the project would you like us to screw up?". Luckily, I'm also pragmatic enough to realize that perfection is rarely practical. Optimality is a more realistic goal. For the client, that means getting the best value for the dollar. For the business, it is all about efficiency and innovation. So, where you draw the line? Simple: where the cost of making it closer to perfection outweighs the additional benefits. Well, I said simple, not easy. |
| The problem with being a perfectionist is not related to doing a good job or expecting it to be done. It is with never being good enough and therefore never finished. A goal is a target that we never reach, but we should continuously be moving toward it. Progress is more important than perfection. I learned that my view of not acceptable was really good in someone else's terms, because it was progress for them, yet not acceptable for me. I was responsible for installing satellite dishes in the Yukon for data transmission years ago for a Bank. The initial service was intermittent and I said we should pull it out until we got it stable. The branch manager called me and asked to have it put back in. It was more stable than his land lines. Perfection said, take it out. Make progress said keep it in. |
Mike Hunter | As a financial advisor, you can be a perfectionist about the process, but not so much about the final product. There is no such thing as a perfect financial plan or investment strategy, simply because nobody can possibly know for sure how the future will unfold. Being thorough, correctly identifying goals and preferences, and building a realistic plan that takes all that into account is as close as you can get to perfection. |
Walter Newman | I get to think less about "perfect" when time is pressing and clients ask for reports that needed to be ready yesterday! LOL I guess I'm more about "getting it done" than anything else. If you are experienced, your work will be good even when you are rushed! Clients will like it when you deliver on time! |
| I think that going back to Alex' point " what don't you want done right?" is the key issue. When planning, plan to do thr right thing, but there are costs involved and these factor into the decision. It is better to plan not to do something than to commit to something, then not deliver. As a client, I can live with not getting everything I want. What I can't accept is a commitment to do something, then not get it, because there were too many things going on. As it relates to last minute requests, you have to learn to say no. It is better to say no, than to add it to the pile and not get something done that you have already committed. |
| Learning to say no is a tough one for most entrepreneurs, especially in the early stages of a venture. Passion, enthusiasm, fear of the guilty feeling that you "missed an opportunity" can all push you to try to do too much. You have to stop and realize that swinging at every pitch will only help you strike out a lot. The perfectionist impulse can help you. You can use its biggest downside (spending too much effort on too few goals) to your advantage, by being more selective with the jobs you take on and doing a better job at each of them. Focus on a niche that allows you to excel. Pick a pitch and sit on it - you'll get more hits. |
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