Overcoming Mediocrity Consistently

by Jay Perry

I came across a quote from Jim Collins, best known as the author of “Good to Great”.  He states:

“The signature of mediocrity is not an unwillingness to change. The signature of mediocrity is chronic inconsistency.”

In every business I have worked with I find this to be true.  Some things get done well one time and then not as well another time.  A case in point is a client company where we had instituted a scheduling program to better control work flow for their production.  It was off and running well two months prior.  I arrived for a follow-up visit to find that they were using the system only 50% to 60% of the time.  In other words, inconsistently.  What were the results?  Chaos!

Diagnostics

I also see inconsistency and mediocrity in diagnostics.  When done properly, there is a smooth production flow.  Then someone has a “better idea” — usually to go back to what they used to do — and the everything falls off the rails again.

The true enemy of greatness in business is this inconsistency in performance.  What causes that inconsistency?  Myriad reasons but one of the most common is complacency or satisfaction with the status quo.  That is fear.  People are afraid to make a full commitment to a new way of being.  They have reached a certain level of comfort and go into “preserve mode” which means let’s not get too far from the average way of doing things.

Great Leaders

That is where the call for great leaders comes in.  Without a great leader who is willing to look at bold ideas and then present them in a safe way that the followers can support the new initiatives, nothing will get done.

The followers will not do proceed on their own.  Not because they do not want the benefits of a better way but because they cannot connect the dots between their current position and where they potentially could be.
In leadership the job entails more than looking at new ideas.  You must make it OK for people to accept the changes necessary to affect improvement.  Followers are willing to change if shown an acceptable way to do so.

Accountability

What follows next is the need to root out the inconsistency that will creep back into people’s behaviors. Holding people accountable for the promises they make in implementing new ways is one of the most important things a leader has to do.  A leader often figures that everyone else can see the same benefits that they see. To the leader it is a “no-brainer” that we should do this and everyone will support it.  That’s a mistake as others do not see things exactly as we do.  Accept that truth and make your life easier.

Many leaders also do not see themselves as helpers.  They like to think of themselves in a more romantic fashion, riding the great steed, leading the army into victory, always looking forward.  Like the old saying says “Get off your high horse.”  Your job is to constantly help others do their job better today than they did it yesterday.  Once that mindset is firmly entrenched in your being and your behavior shows it.

Links

• 15 lessons from the 2012 Global Leadership Summit
• image courtesy of puravida

Improve the processes and you change the culture. Ally Business Coaching helps progressive companies manage both aspects of these kinds of transformations. Leadership is developed in people, not trained. With over 20 years of experience in developing leaders through a coaching style, Jay brings quick, effective and permanent improvements to clients all over North America. Here are the complete services. You’ll find more about Jay on the Experion website and LinkedIn.