An End to Mediocre Thinking

It’s that time of the year again for new year’s resolutions – promises – reflections, etc. I’m not going to write about that today because there are plenty of others covering the topic at length. I shared some time this morning with a lovely woman as a networking “we should get to know each other’s business better” type meeting. What would normally be a 30 to 60 minute “you tell me your business and I’ll tell you mine” run-of-the-mill meeting; turned into a nearly two-hour long, easy flowing discussion of wide ranging topics. And no… this is not a story about romance. Although, you gotta love meetings that turn out to be that much fun… the only problem is; if I have too many like that I’ll never get any work done!

Back to the point. We were talking about the philosophy of “under promise – over deliver.” So many companies and companies’ representatives tout this philosophy as if it’s something to be proud of. I mentioned to my new tea-drinking friend that I view this approach as a built in excuse for mediocrity not excellence.

Think about it. Under promise implies you know you could do more… you simply won’t. Let’s say you are capable of 10 widgets, or ideas, or services in a work week. You meet with your new client and wow them with the idea that you can deliver six widgets, ideas, or services. They are happy with that proposal so you blow them away when you deliver eight!

Good for you! You got away with operating at 80% and everyone, including you, your team, your suppliers, your prospects and your new customer thinks you rock! “Charlie from Widgets of Scottsdale told us we’d get six widge-ideas and they delivered eight! And they were ahead of schedule… Charlie is my new hero!” Way to go Charlie… and you managed to get in 18 holes along the way!

So really; how proud can Charlie be, knowing he produced at just 80%. And how long until the bar for measurement at Widgets of Scottsdale sinks to eight widgets, ideas, or services because that’s what he’s been delivering and building his reputation on? More importantly, what happens when a hungry new player shows up in the widget-arena who is willing to bust out of the limits and produce ten or twelve as the norm? Poor Charlie…

Just a week ago at another networking meeting (I get lots of ideas at networking meetings – you should attend as many as you can) we went around the room for everyone to contribute a “positive thought” for the day. One person excitedly delivered “under promise – over deliver” as if it was a new and profound insight. Now I suppose the person actually meant something like “don’t promise things you can’t deliver” or (a personal favorite) “don’t let your mouth write checks that your body can’t cash” (where do these expressions come from anyway?) But both of those sound negative don’t they? So, we are left with the (un)inspiring message of under promising. Do I have you thinking yet?

Years ago, I had the privilege of working in the life insurance industry with one of the giants in that business, Sid Friedman of Corporate Financial Services in Philadelphia, PA. Sid was one of the top players in the world in the insurance industry. If you are in the business, you likely know his name. We lost Sid a few years ago to cancer but his work and inspiration remains at www.sidspeaks.com.

One of Sid’s favorite philosophies was “If it ain’t broke… BREAK IT – fix it and make it better!” That could be a topic for another day… and I think it gives a quick insight into his outside the boundaries thinking. The point Sid made about promises is this, “Forget about ‘under promise over deliver’. From now own Promise A Lot and deliver More!” Now that puts you in the game. That puts you on the line each and every time. And that will separate you from your competition because instead of waiting for mediocrity to lower the bar; you are constantly pushing it higher.

What is the difference 10% more could make if you apply it to all the metrics? What if you just do 10% on 50% of your processes? Push the boundaries. Set the bar higher. Lead by example… and deliver more.

“Promise a lot – deliver more.” What kind of year will you have in 2008 if you adopt this philosophy?

Forget about mediocrity – go for the challenge of putting yourself on the line every time. And before you know it, what used to be a stretch will have become your norm… and the gap between you and “the other guy” just got wider.

Here’s to you and your goals, dreams and aspirations for your mind, body, spirit, personally and in business in 2008.