|
Mediocrity—It
Drives Me Crazy!
By Ed Rigsbee, CSP
(780
words)
Since
I live in a metaphorical glass house, I’ll be the first to admit that I
screw up—a lot. And, making a mistake is a far cry from simply being
lazy. I’ll never forget the comment that my boss, Ray Kahn, made to me
sometime in the late 1970s; “If you aren’t making mistakes, I don’t
need you because you are not taking risks. However, if you keep making the
same mistakes, I don’t need you because you are not learning.” These
are very powerful words, and they have made a difference to me my entire
adult life.
It’s
Good Enough…
How
many times have you heard this one? “It’s good enough for government
work.” The government (pick one; federal, state, or local) might be
deserving of this; however it need not be applied to your work. Every job
has certain acceptable tolerances that are sufficient enough for the
product or service to work properly.
What
I’m talking about is outside the scope of acceptable tolerances. Is it
acceptable for a school bus driver to only take a child half-way home? I
don’t think so. So then why might it be acceptable for a worker to do
his or her job in a half-ass manner? Do I want to buy a product or service
that only does only half of what it is promised to do? Not so much.
I
Just Can’t Stay Focused
Why
should your lack of focus mean that I deserve an inferior product or
service? Lack of focus, if not a medical condition, clearly stems from
boredom and apathy. If someone has a medical condition that inhibits their
lack of focus, you can be sure that I don’t want them operating heavy
equipment or guarding confidential data.
I’m
talking about the people that do not like their jobs so they go out
drinking every night and stumble into work with cobwebs in their brain.
I’m talking about the people that while are at work physically, they are
mentally on vacation in
Maui
. I’m talking about the people that spend so much time with their noses
in other people’s business, in the metaphorical “rice bowls” of
their co-workers, that they have no time to do the jobs that they are
assigned. I’m talking about the people that make the choice to defuse
their focus. Who needs them?
The
People that Work for Me Suck
I’ll
never forget the comment an acquaintance of mine made when I visited his
hardware store in my town. He told me that he had awful employees. I asked
him who hired these folks and he replied, “I did.” Wow! Isn’t a
person responsible for the quality of employees that he or she
hires—apparently not—per this guy’s philosophy? My friend Larry
Winget says, “If your life sucks, you suck.” Stinging words are they
not? But, are the words true? I think they are.
While
there are wonderful persons that run businesses and supervise workers,
there are a few here and there that need to get fired. I’m not talking
about the great leaders but rather the idiots that daily masquerade as
decent human beings. I’m talking about bosses that couldn’t find their
way out of a paper bag if their life depended on it, yet they are
responsible for others. Bosses like this bring the worst out in themselves
and the people they supervise. These bosses are truly deserving of an old
fashion tar and feathering party.
What
Does It Matter?
If
you have given up on life, it doesn’t matter—just fake a back injury
and live on welfare the rest of your life. Or, as I’ve heard it said far
too many times; just get a government job. However, doing at the very
least a good job and better yet a great job should matter to every
American. The days of
US
nomination in industry are long gone. There is competition, for your job,
scattered among the far corners of the globe—it matters!
Perhaps
one of the reasons that Jim Collins’ book, Good
to Great did so well is the fact that Americans love their heroes? I
completely believe that it is the mandate of any employer to create an
environment of success in which their employees can succeed. And it is the
responsibility of every American worker to excel to their highest
lever—otherwise don’t whine when jobs are sent off-shore or illegal
aliens are hired because they will work for nickels rather than dollars.
What
does it matter? It should, and must, matter a lot. If it doesn’t matter,
what kind of a crap-hole country are we leaving to our children? It
matters to me.
Copyright
2010 Ed Rigsbee
#
# #
As
an internationally recognized speaker on partnering, Ed Rigsbee says what many
people are thinking but afraid to say. He is the author of several hundred
articles and a number of books on business topics. Ed travels
internationally to share his business growth expertise through consulting,
training, and keynote presentations. He has been an adjunct professor for
two California
universities, yet he prides himself, a practical business thought leader.
Additionally, Ed’s avocation is serving as CEO & Executive Director
for a non-profit public charity. You may contact Ed through http://www.Rigsbee.com.
|
