A longer post this week. I am often amazed at how many times my services are engaged to fix up problems that have been created by previous consultants. As I have pondered this I have come to the conclusion that it is largely a result of their attitude rather than their skill. There are few people who are willing to undertake their work with Excellence. Are you one of them? Does your company promote and foster excellence? Take the time to read through this post it may just be the difference between obscurity and significance.
In 1895, Calixto Garcia, a lawyer and General in the Cuban army, took command of the insurrection against the Spanish rule in Cuba. The Cubans were subjected to ever increasing oppression from the Spanish until it got to the point where they had had enough and appealed to the United States for help. The United States responded to the plea and sent their battleship, Main to the Havana harbour to act as a ‘presence’ in the area – a warning to the Spanish. However, things did not improve and in 1898 the Spanish responded to the American presence by blowing up their battleship. The Spanish – American war had begun. Immediately, President McKinley composed a message of support for General Garcia and knew that he would have to communicate quickly with the leader of the insurgents. But General Garcia – who at the time had a price on his head - was held up in the Cuban mountains and no-one had been able to find him. In fact, the Spanish saw General Garcia as being so pivotal to the Cuban war effort that the entire Spanish army in Cuba had scoured the mountains for months in an effort to find him – but they could not! President McKinley called in one of his generals and asked him who could get a message to Garcia. Without hesitation he was informed that there was one man in the US Army, who, if anyone, could get a message to Garcia – that man was Leftenant Andrew Summers Rowan.
The year is now 1899, the Spanish have been defeated, and on Washington’s Birthday, Elbert Hubbard a writer and magazine publisher is sitting around the dinner table with his family and they are discussing the heroes of the Spanish-American war. Now whilst most of those around the table thought that General Calixto Garcia was the outstanding hero of the war, Elbert’s son Bert said that he considered Leftenant Andrew Summers Rowan to be the real hero. When asked why he said it was because, ‘he had gone alone and done the thing – carried the message to Garcia.’ With that statement something leapt inside Elbert Hubbard’s heart. He got up from the table and in less than an hour had written a story. There was a blank spot yet to be filled in a magazine that was just about to be printed so Elbert Hubbard inserted the story to fill up the remaining space – it didn’t even have a title. A week or so after the magazine was released Elbert Hubbard’s clerks came to him saying that they were receiving requests for reprints of that magazine. When Elbert asked which of the major articles had received such a response they said none – it was the small, untitled article that had been inserted at the last minute. The requests for reprints kept coming in – 1, 5 10, 100, 1000, 10,000 even for 100,000. Elbert’s business didn’t have the capacity to supply so he just gave people permission to reprint it themselves. Today, the article entitled ‘A Letter to Garcia’ is written in every major language and has been read by 100’s of millions of people around the world. It is considered as the second most widely read work next to the Bible.
Download a copy of "Looking for Garcia" from the resources section of my website at
http://www.mineralstrategies.com.au/resources.html
Leftenant Andrew Summers Rowan was summoned to the President’s office he was given the message and with a ‘consider-it done’ attitude completed the mission that arguably was key to the eventual outcome of Spain’s defeat.
Characteristics of Excellence:
Excellence can be described in a number of ways but it is primarily the attitude that says ‘near enough is not good enough.’ Words used to describe excellence are: merit, quality, distinction, worth, perfection, value, discrimination, class, impeccability, supremacy, flawlessness, precision, benevolence and goodness - (decency, honesty, uprightness, morality, integrity).
Be assured the world is watching. Your attitude towards your work is under scrutiny! So what are some of the characteristics of excellence?
Attention to detail: Excellence is not small-minded but it is mindful of the small things. The attitude of excellence is seen more in the small things than in the large – that is attention to detail. The intricacies that God has placed in the microscopic world give testimony to that fact. When Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel he was asked why he spent some much time in the dark corners where nobody would see it he was reported as saying – God will see it. That is a commitment to excellence.
Winston Churchill once said, “When you‘re doing big things, you attract big people. If you’re doing little things you attract little people. Little people usually cause trouble.” This talks volumes about our attitude. Even when we are being faithful in the little we can still have a big picture mentality.
Willing to serve and sacrifice more: People of excellence are comparatively less well paid than their counterparts. Why? Because they are always putting in extra time, effort and energy – always doing more than they are asked to. Funny how the second mile is never crowded. An abundant life comes from doing more than is expected and doing so before any benefits are forthcoming – excellence embraces the principle of delayed gratification.
For four decades East Berlin was controlled by the Communists. West Berlin was free. One day some people from East Berlin took a truckload of garbage and dumped it on the West Berlin side. The people on the West Berlin side could have retaliated in like kind but instead they loaded up a truck with bread, milk and canned goods and neatly stacked them on the East Berlin side. On top of this stack of food they placed the sign – “Each one gives what he has.”
Willing to go to the next level: Virtually all new breakthroughs in science, technology, customer service (include cell groups and cell growth in this) are driven by an attitude of excellence. People of excellence are looking for the next challenge. There is no such thing as status quo. Don’t hold yourself back in the hope that you will be able to produce your best later and really impress – do your best now.
Willing to take responsibility: People of excellence take responsibility – they are accountable by choice.
Two people were sitting under a tree talking about various issues when one of them said, “I’ve often wanted to ask God why he allows poverty, famine and injustice to occur in the world when he could do something about it.’ The other person replied, “What’s stopping you?” to which the first said, “I’m afraid he’ll ask me the same question.”
A sales manager of a dog food company asked his sales people how they liked the company’s new advertising program. “Great! Best in the business!” the salespeople responded.
“How do you like our new label and package?”
Great! Best in the business!” the salespeople responded.
“How do you like our sales force?”
They were the sales force. They had to admit they were good. “Okay, then,” said the manager. “So we’ve got the best label, the best package, and the best advertising program being sold by the best sales force in the business. Tell me why we are in seventeenth place in the dog food business?”
There was silence. Finally someone said, “It’s those lousy dogs. They won’t eat the stuff!”
We can’t choose how much life we live but we can certainly chose how much life those years will have.
Excellence is an endangered attitude in today’s society. In fact, if excellence were an animal Greenpeace would be campaigning on behalf of it. Society is prejudiced against excellence because it shows up mediocrity for what it is and raises the bar, thereby increasing the pressure for everyone else. The Australian Tall Poppy syndrome at it’s best. Tom Peters once said that ‘a passion for excellence means thinking big and starting small. Excellence begins when high ideals and intense realism meet.’
George Bernard Shaw said, “This is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognised by yourself as a mighty one. Being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as I live it is my privilege – my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I love. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me; it is a sort of splendid torch which I’ve got a hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.”
Worth thinking about!
In 1895, Calixto Garcia, a lawyer and General in the Cuban army, took command of the insurrection against the Spanish rule in Cuba. The Cubans were subjected to ever increasing oppression from the Spanish until it got to the point where they had had enough and appealed to the United States for help. The United States responded to the plea and sent their battleship, Main to the Havana harbour to act as a ‘presence’ in the area – a warning to the Spanish. However, things did not improve and in 1898 the Spanish responded to the American presence by blowing up their battleship. The Spanish – American war had begun. Immediately, President McKinley composed a message of support for General Garcia and knew that he would have to communicate quickly with the leader of the insurgents. But General Garcia – who at the time had a price on his head - was held up in the Cuban mountains and no-one had been able to find him. In fact, the Spanish saw General Garcia as being so pivotal to the Cuban war effort that the entire Spanish army in Cuba had scoured the mountains for months in an effort to find him – but they could not! President McKinley called in one of his generals and asked him who could get a message to Garcia. Without hesitation he was informed that there was one man in the US Army, who, if anyone, could get a message to Garcia – that man was Leftenant Andrew Summers Rowan.
The year is now 1899, the Spanish have been defeated, and on Washington’s Birthday, Elbert Hubbard a writer and magazine publisher is sitting around the dinner table with his family and they are discussing the heroes of the Spanish-American war. Now whilst most of those around the table thought that General Calixto Garcia was the outstanding hero of the war, Elbert’s son Bert said that he considered Leftenant Andrew Summers Rowan to be the real hero. When asked why he said it was because, ‘he had gone alone and done the thing – carried the message to Garcia.’ With that statement something leapt inside Elbert Hubbard’s heart. He got up from the table and in less than an hour had written a story. There was a blank spot yet to be filled in a magazine that was just about to be printed so Elbert Hubbard inserted the story to fill up the remaining space – it didn’t even have a title. A week or so after the magazine was released Elbert Hubbard’s clerks came to him saying that they were receiving requests for reprints of that magazine. When Elbert asked which of the major articles had received such a response they said none – it was the small, untitled article that had been inserted at the last minute. The requests for reprints kept coming in – 1, 5 10, 100, 1000, 10,000 even for 100,000. Elbert’s business didn’t have the capacity to supply so he just gave people permission to reprint it themselves. Today, the article entitled ‘A Letter to Garcia’ is written in every major language and has been read by 100’s of millions of people around the world. It is considered as the second most widely read work next to the Bible.
Download a copy of "Looking for Garcia" from the resources section of my website at
http://www.mineralstrategies.com.au/resources.html
Leftenant Andrew Summers Rowan was summoned to the President’s office he was given the message and with a ‘consider-it done’ attitude completed the mission that arguably was key to the eventual outcome of Spain’s defeat.
Characteristics of Excellence:
Excellence can be described in a number of ways but it is primarily the attitude that says ‘near enough is not good enough.’ Words used to describe excellence are: merit, quality, distinction, worth, perfection, value, discrimination, class, impeccability, supremacy, flawlessness, precision, benevolence and goodness - (decency, honesty, uprightness, morality, integrity).
Be assured the world is watching. Your attitude towards your work is under scrutiny! So what are some of the characteristics of excellence?
Attention to detail: Excellence is not small-minded but it is mindful of the small things. The attitude of excellence is seen more in the small things than in the large – that is attention to detail. The intricacies that God has placed in the microscopic world give testimony to that fact. When Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel he was asked why he spent some much time in the dark corners where nobody would see it he was reported as saying – God will see it. That is a commitment to excellence.
Winston Churchill once said, “When you‘re doing big things, you attract big people. If you’re doing little things you attract little people. Little people usually cause trouble.” This talks volumes about our attitude. Even when we are being faithful in the little we can still have a big picture mentality.
Willing to serve and sacrifice more: People of excellence are comparatively less well paid than their counterparts. Why? Because they are always putting in extra time, effort and energy – always doing more than they are asked to. Funny how the second mile is never crowded. An abundant life comes from doing more than is expected and doing so before any benefits are forthcoming – excellence embraces the principle of delayed gratification.
For four decades East Berlin was controlled by the Communists. West Berlin was free. One day some people from East Berlin took a truckload of garbage and dumped it on the West Berlin side. The people on the West Berlin side could have retaliated in like kind but instead they loaded up a truck with bread, milk and canned goods and neatly stacked them on the East Berlin side. On top of this stack of food they placed the sign – “Each one gives what he has.”
Willing to go to the next level: Virtually all new breakthroughs in science, technology, customer service (include cell groups and cell growth in this) are driven by an attitude of excellence. People of excellence are looking for the next challenge. There is no such thing as status quo. Don’t hold yourself back in the hope that you will be able to produce your best later and really impress – do your best now.
Willing to take responsibility: People of excellence take responsibility – they are accountable by choice.
Two people were sitting under a tree talking about various issues when one of them said, “I’ve often wanted to ask God why he allows poverty, famine and injustice to occur in the world when he could do something about it.’ The other person replied, “What’s stopping you?” to which the first said, “I’m afraid he’ll ask me the same question.”
A sales manager of a dog food company asked his sales people how they liked the company’s new advertising program. “Great! Best in the business!” the salespeople responded.
“How do you like our new label and package?”
Great! Best in the business!” the salespeople responded.
“How do you like our sales force?”
They were the sales force. They had to admit they were good. “Okay, then,” said the manager. “So we’ve got the best label, the best package, and the best advertising program being sold by the best sales force in the business. Tell me why we are in seventeenth place in the dog food business?”
There was silence. Finally someone said, “It’s those lousy dogs. They won’t eat the stuff!”
We can’t choose how much life we live but we can certainly chose how much life those years will have.
Excellence is an endangered attitude in today’s society. In fact, if excellence were an animal Greenpeace would be campaigning on behalf of it. Society is prejudiced against excellence because it shows up mediocrity for what it is and raises the bar, thereby increasing the pressure for everyone else. The Australian Tall Poppy syndrome at it’s best. Tom Peters once said that ‘a passion for excellence means thinking big and starting small. Excellence begins when high ideals and intense realism meet.’
George Bernard Shaw said, “This is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognised by yourself as a mighty one. Being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as I live it is my privilege – my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I love. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me; it is a sort of splendid torch which I’ve got a hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.”
Worth thinking about!
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