“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then is not an act, but a habit.”
– Aristotle
Excellence is a word that has entered that hallowed hall of cliches – words and phrases that were once powerful and evocative but through overuse have grown tired and worn out. So much so, in fact, that they are essentially meaningless.
When we use this word, often we’re trying to reach past where we currently are into a space where things are better because of our efforts. Excellence is similar to Quality in that when they are thrown out, we want to access something that isn’t just different, it’s better, and better in a way that everyone must acknowledge it is better. This quote from Aristotle reminds us that any attempt to move past the status quo requires consistent, focused action. Anything less often results in a lot of directionless flailing.
The problem with using these words in business is that because they are powerless, we lose our audience. People don’t know what they’re supposed to mean, which means the words are then up for personal interpretation. We often mean something along the lines of being the best in our industry with the intention of rallying our cohort to perform in kind. But what are the habits we are working to instill in them on the ground to result in this?
If you want to excel, if you want a business culture that consistently provides a product or service that surprises and delights your customer because it answers the problems they’ve been banging their heads against for years, take the time to understand what you actually mean by excellence. See the activity below for how you might get clarity on this.
Activity: Set the timer for 5 minutes. Write out brief answers to these questions – and don’t think too much.
- What does excellence mean in your business?
- How do you know excellence when you see it?
- Identify 5 words that relate to excellence as you understand it.
How might you translate this into action in your business?