zerograv – sep 2019 – Not Perfect

You can call me unperfect but who’s perfect?
Tell me what do I gotta do
To prove that I’m the only one for you?

Hahaha throwback to Nsync lyrics for ‘Selfish’, whatever happened to their awesome songs!?  not to mention backstreet boys, 98 degrees, etc.

This post actually has nothing to do with music, rather it is focused on the idea of perfection, and specifically within a corporate environment.  I had a good learning moment earlier this year which I’d like to share.

I was in an introductory conversation with one of the executives, and we got to the topic of individual performance and collaborating with others.  My standard response was I’m focused on high-performance, results, while getting along well with others, working together, etc.  What was interesting is he responded that when he asks others for performance feedback on me, he doesn’t only want to hear good things.  In fact through the course of the year, if he hears nothing, or no complaints or grumbles, he sees this as an issue.

Huh!?

So, he went on to explain if we are always going along to get along, and not causing any waves, then we are not pushing the envelope.  While being under the radar and performing is comfortable, challenging ourselves and others to further move the needle is the real aim.  If we really want to drive innovation and exceptional change or results, we need to push people out of their comfort zones, and take strong positions when necessary.  And to keep in mind change management is not easy, so to be the pioneer of that change, one mustn’t care so much about what others think.  Let them talk and take it in and push back, see where things go.

Of course this approach needs to be taken with care, as he still wants to hear mostly positive things :], however some mixed or negative feedback is where the good stuff is, the real change agent.

I like it, strikes me as authentic and obvious, kind of like a why didn’t I think of that earlier idea?  If the good intent is there, and the diligence to do the actual work, everything else will take care of itself.

Call me unperfect.  😉
zero

PS – Perfect Dark Zero (xbox 360) actually is perfect. 😃