Excellence is not an action but a process. It is the combination of painstaking attention paid to details, high-quality work habit, and uncompromised commitment to a specified result. All these qualities are not wished for but cultivated. Excellence is not achieved overnight; in fact, it is work in progress. It is the commitment to constant improvement. Excellence is beating your set standard for a task, and it is only sustainable by beating your next set standard. Excellence is not necessarily about saving time or achieving a goal; it is more about the ‘how’ than the ‘what’. Several times when we are committed to excellence, progress appears slow and we tend to think we are doing nothing. However, here are some valuable secrets about an excellent process:
- It is long-term: establishing a process that produces exceptional result is a long-term endeavour. First, this is because it requires diligence and care, and second, because there must be commitment to constant self-improvement. Instead of aiming for a perfect product, we should aim to perfect every stage of the production process then we will automatically have a perfect product. While it is important to keep the end in view, we must never lose sight of the present. We don’t have to wait till the end to know if a product will be excellent or poor; every compromise at every stage of its production is a telltale sign.
- It guarantees sustainability: a great structure is not built around people but around processes. When a structure is built around people, their exit will cause major setbacks. They will leave gaps that no one is equipped to fill. Consequently, we will need to hunt for ‘talented’ people to fill the void. If the structure is built around processes, however, other people will grow into the roles and sustainability will be guaranteed. We will hunt for ‘potentials’ and develop them into the ‘talented’. Employees will grow through capacity building to effectively manage the process. Organic growth is an excellent idea for organisations because as the employees grow, the company will grow. Processes help define the quality of actions required under given circumstances. It eliminates trial-and-error or varied qualities but establishes standards for consistent results. When processes are allowed to run their course, employees see themselves as part of the success story of the organisation.
- It provides parameters for reward and discipline: you can easily determine who is efficient in the process managementand who is not. You can determine who is improving the process and who is obstructing it. It prevents one person from bearing a collective burden alone. Inputs are clear and expected results are clear. Undue expectations are not placed on anyone because there is a process.
When you invest in the establishment of a winning process, things will run automatically and results will be achieved more quickly. It may appear that a lot of time is being lost while the process is still being fine-tuned. Afterwards, however, great momentum will be generated and your results will be evident.
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