DEVELOPING A PASSION FOR EXCELLENCY By Muyiwa Afolabi Since the days of our basic school education all through secondary school, as pupils and students we were taught to compete, hence the appreciation and awards to best performing students. Positions are reflected in result sheets to place each student on a rating matrix to measure how they perform compared to other students that have gone through the same training, tutoring, tests and examinations. I’ve always wondered if this was a true measure of how good a student is because brilliance is not the same as intelligence. Some people are gifted with brilliance – they learn fast, remember so much quickly and accurately, and can answer when questioned even if they haven’t studied as hard as others. There are some others who are deeper thinkers, they think through everything they’re told slowly and meticulously, they may be slower because they take their time to analyse, question, understand and can eventually apply. Most of these guys have creative minds. And there is a third category of students that combine brilliance and intelligence. So I’ve always wondered if positioning in class is the best way to tell how good a student really is. The more I thought about it, I began to see that the objective of positions in class may be different or even superior to comparative purposes. I think what it does is create in the minds and behaviours of the students the passion for excellence. Going to school is not just about making average or good grades, it’s about learning how to be excellent. It’s beyond being good; it’s about being the best because life itself rewards the best with the best. Being okay, average or just good enough doesn’t reward you with the best that life has got to offer. In your place of work you have colleagues and contemporaries with the ambition of a promotion, rewards, salary increase, team headship, directorate and even the board. Standing out through excellent work performance is the single most important requirement for this in a growth oriented organisation. Out-performing your contemporaries rewards you firstly with recognition, then attention from leadership, a favourable career path and a succession plan for leadership. It naturally places you on your way to the top faster than anything else. Haven’t you wondered why in organisations not every good staff becomes a director? It’s not just about being good at what you do; it’s about being the best when compared with your contemporaries. It’s about outperforming them in both hard and soft skills requirement. It’s about having the passion for excellence; paying attention to details, having answers, being a forward thinker and a great strategist. It’s about leadership, knowing what your mates don’t know, having the skills they lack and the maturity they’re grappling with It’s about you being one step ahead of the pack being the first, being the best. What exactly is hindering you from being the best not just in your team but across the whole business? The truth is if you’re not as ambitious you may be numbered amongst those that will go in case the company decides to down- size. An interesting drama occurred in an organisation i had the opportunity of coaching a couple of years ago. A new director from abroad was appointed to lead the finance team. In his familiarity process with the team, he questioned and asked for several figures and computations and he gave very tight time lines. The head of department, a middle aged accountant and the rest of the team struggled with accuracy and response time because they were computing with the help of the calculator – what they were used to. The youngest member of the team however was quite familiar with the use of Micro Soft Excel in computing figures – a competence everyone else in that team lacked. Within a week his accuracy and response time was quite obvious and he immediately became the new director’s favourite. Today he heads that team, reporting to that Director. His previous senior colleagues are of course unhappy and some have left the team. But sincerely you can’t blame this boy for being better than the rest. In life as you approach age forty and fifty your responsibilities will continue to grow regardless of your income, hence there is wisdom in earning more at a faster pace than responsibility growth, and this can be made possible through regular promotion and salary increase! As you go to work today review your attitude to work. Do you have a passion for excellence? Or you’re contented with just being okay or average. Make up your mind today to stand out and in a short while you will be outstanding. Develop a passion for excellent work and zoom your way to the top! Enjoy your day!
Posted on: Fri, 24 May 2013 10:12:16 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015