The Strive for Perfection is Killing Our Progress.

Why do we expect perfection? As a society, we are constantly pursuing a version of perfection. Billion dollar industries exist to support this habit. Don't have a perfect face - we can fix it. Don't have a perfect body - we have a plan you can do.

As leaders, we do the same thing. We expect people to execute EVERY plan and detail to perfection. As a recovering micro-manager, I have boldly uttered the words, "we need this to be 100%".

Let's dive into why this can be dangerous.

What behaviors do YOU execute at 100%? Research has shown that 45% of our daily decisions come down to habit. We don't even think about it. We wake up, put on our clothes, brush our teeth, work out, go to work, etc....

Let's take a look at that 45%. Do you execute those behaviors correctly 100% of the time? If someone was there to coach your technique on brushing your teeth, would it be without flaws? I can only speak for myself - but probably not. I do not have poor dental hygiene, but there is an area for improvement. We could list every programmed behavior and dissect it for perfect execution, but there would be a pattern that would rise relatively quickly.

If we were to obsess over the fact that we execute a series of imperfect behaviors, without thinking every day - I think it would cause a high level of anxiety and disappointment. Instead of giving ourselves credit for the fact the behavior was completed, we would beat ourselves up for not doing it perfectly.

Why do we expect 100% execution from others if we are not able to do it ourselves? I think the problem lies in the delivery of the expectation.

We communicate poor expectations. The goal of any leader is to introduce concepts and ideas to the 50% of the brain that is capable of learning and adapting. The hope is to train the concept and for it to become part of your new habit.

Communicating that you expect this new concept to be executed 100% of the time is dangerous. It leads to environments where leaders focus on the 5% that is not happening instead of the 95% that is.

I am not saying that we should lower our expectations. I am challenging the idea of perfection as an end goal. When we expect perfection, we set-up our teams to fail. We instead, should focus our energy on progress.

When we expect perfection, we set-up our teams to fail. When we expect progress we challenge our teams to succeed. Perfection means that if you are not at 100% you are failing. Imagine the pressure this put on our employees.

Focus on progress. Progress is defined as, the forward or onward movement towards a destination. Progress does not focus on perfection, rather it focuses on momentum. It implies there is room to grow and it challenges individuals to change and adapt their behavior.

First, you have to ask yourself, what is the end goal? What am I trying to achieve? What behaviors does the team need to execute? Then, begin to train your new objectives. Place surgical focus on the progression of each individual on the team. Celebrate their wins and challenge their opportunities.

Imagine a world where instead of saying, I expect you to do this 100% of the time, you say, "Look how far you have come, the progress you have made is incredible, let's see what progress you can make in this category."

When we expect progress we challenge our teams to succeed. Perfection means that if you are not at 100% you are failing. Imagine the pressure this put on our employees.

I don't know about you, but I want to work for people who recognize the 95% instead of those who focus on the 5%.

What are your thoughts?

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