E: Excellence--the Way

Me with some of my excellent colleagues

And now I will show you the most excellent way.

Love is having patience with coworkers and customers.

Love shows kindness to those having a bad day.

Love isn’t envious of another’s accomplishments.
 It doesn’t promote itself at the expense of others.
 It doesn’t think it’s indispensable to the company.

Love is not rude to customers or coworkers.
It doesn’t just work for the paycheck. 
It’s not easily angered or resentful.

Love doesn’t gossip about misfortunes, but shares successes and celebrations.

Love stays overtime and helps out colleagues.

Love believes in what it does,
is positive about work,
and thinks in terms of solutions not problems.

Love stays committed to the job.

              Excellence isn't just being the best. It's being the best with honor. It's wanting to do a good job because it's the right thing to do. 
             With my patients it's giving them the highest quality health care available. It's always thinking what can I do improve not just their physical but emotional and spiritual well being? 
             With my writing it's not just tossing out the first thing that comes to mind, but drafting it and then editing and re-editing even as far as a 10th and 11th draft and beyond. And then, if/when it gets rejected, thinking about why and using the experience to guide me for next time.
             Because there will be a next time.  Excellence doesn't let me give up.
             Excellence doesn't settle for mediocrity or complacency.  It works with passion.  Those who strive for excellence see the bar and work above it despite what others around them are doing.  They don't criticize or "tattle", but encourage others to be better along with them.
             One thing excellence is not is perfection.  We all have room to improve.  Excellence is the virtue that knows this. 
             In work and life wanting to get ahead, to be number one, isn't a bad thing.  But we lose ourselves when we are ruthless about it, not caring who gets stepped on or what bridges are burned along the way.
            I Corinthians 13 is called the love chapter.  It's often used in marriage ceremonies, but love goes beyond husband/wife relationships.  It should be in everything we do:  love for life, love for family, love for what we do and who we work with.  Whatever you want to call it: passion, love, caring, compassion.  Love is what changes you from merely good at what you do to Excellent.

             It's never lonely at the top if you bring some friends with you.

D: Discipline--thinking beyond 2

Do you work with two year olds?  You know, those people that focus on themselves and think the rules don’t apply to them.  They get to be late and take extra-long breaks.  They seem to get away with everything.  If something doesn’t go their way they whine and talk about how they’re so mistreated and work isn’t fair.  You start to think maybe there is a different standard for them than for you because one little infraction and you’re in the boss’s office while they seem to be immune.  You ask yourself why you even try to follow the rules.

Don’t let them fool you. It catches up to everyone eventually. 

Discipline has many facets.  Punishment is just one part—and should be at the bottom of the list as a last resort. At the top should be self-control so that punishment isn’t necessary.   Discipline has more than one definition:

• training to act in accordance with rules.
•  activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill; training.
• punishment inflicted by way of correction and training

• the rigor or training effect of experience, adversity, etc

•  behavior in accord with rules of conduct; behavior and order maintained by training and  control.

Why is discipline important?  It makes an office more productive and efficient. It keeps them in business.  Individually it teaches and makes you better at what you do through experience.  It gives a sense of accomplishment and confidence.  In a time when budgets are being cut and layoffs happen, the more productive people who show respect for company rules are more desirable to keep. 
Discipline keeps your mind ordered so that when difficulties arise you can act and not react. You are in control, not the situation.  You’re able to think more creatively to come up with a good solution.  If something goes wrong and the situation is being investigated, you’ve done the right thing and don’t have to fear recrimination.
Some things to consider: 

• Believe you can be disciplined.   
• Pick your battles.  Discipline isn’t just following rules blindly.
• Believe discipline is needed.
•  Be accountable for your actions.   
• Be self-disciplined so you don’t have to have disciplined imposed on you. 

Without discipline there is no professionalism in the workplace.  It’s more than just following the rules. It’s actively seeking to learn and grow in your career.  Discipline encourages us to strive for excellence in work and life.

C: Creativity--What if I did it this way?

From the very beginning of his career Phil Mickelson has played a style of golf that keeps his fans and caddie drinking Maalox by the gallon.  Why?  Creative thinking.  In sizing up a shot, many would look towards the hole, maybe thinking outside the box, but still in terms of the box.  To Phil’s thinking, there is no box. 

 

 

It’s important to stay innovative with fresh ideas in your career.  For one reason it keeps you from burn out.  And, it keeps you relevant to your position.   I know in medicine, especially in dealing with kids, you have to be able to see not just the horses, but also the zebras and the giraffes and elephants—the whole menagerie since kids don’t always play by the rules. 

When you're faced with a challenge at work, don't think in terms of problems.  Think in terms of how can we get this done.  If something's working, great.  Keep it.  But never stop thinking could this be done better?  If so, how?   Turn it around and see if there's another way beyond the box. 

Others will tell you that won't work.  Or that's crazy. Or nobody can do that. Maybe, but how do you know until you try?

This video was shot in 1992.  Since then Phil hasn't wavered from trying the impossible when it comes to his swings. When one of Phil's crazy shots falls short the announcers say "what was he thinking?"  But, when it lands right, the shots are nothing short of amazing. Pro that he is, more often than not Phil hits the mark.

Don’t just think how can I do this with what’s in place now.  Think:  What if we did it this way?  You might end up in a hazard, true.  But, you just might end up with a hole in one.