Excellentology

Far better it is to dare mighty things to win glorioustriumphs even though checkered with failure than totake rank with those poor souls who neither suffermuch nor accomplish much because they live in thegray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.—Theodore Roosevelt

Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing!—Helen Keller

We all want to be a part of something special—to feel swept away inan adventure that transcends us—to feel like we matter to the worldaround us in some significant way.

It was the spring of 1975, and I had been selected to play the partof Jesus in our high school production of the Broadway musicalGodspell. Our director, Mr. Grady, had a true love for drama and anexceptional ability to get kids to perform at their best. He worked ushard every day after school and built a passion in us to be the best wecould be. He required persistent discipline from us as we learned ourlines, worked on the dance steps, and stumbled through the scenes.He had to start from scratch with many of us, including me. After all,we were just high school kids, not seasoned actors.

Perhaps the most challenging and frustrating skill I had to learnwas tap dancing. There was a scene in the play where Judas and Jesusperformed a vaudeville tap dance. I've never been much of a dancer. Ican slow dance, I can half-step disco, and I can shag. But I can't tapdance. Mr. Grady had a heck of a time getting me to learn to tap. Hebrought in the school's best dancer, Sherri, who worked with me forweeks after school, trying to help me learn to tap dance. Finally,almost ready to give up on me, she figured out how to simplify it in away that looked like tap, but was much easier for me to do. I realizedthat when you're on a journey to excellence, sometimes you have tofigure out ways to compensate for your weaknesses. Since no one isgood at everything, learning what you're good at and what you're notis critical. I also learned that any personal quest for excellence is notreally so personal at all. It always involves others. I needed Sherri'shelp to do that dance.

The unique talents and capabilities of the kids in the play, shapedby Mr. Grady's talented and unique style of leadership andencouragement, combined to create one of those remarkableadventures that transcended each of us. As it was happening, I felt Iwas a part of something really special. Following the opening night ofthe play, every performance was sold out with standing-room-onlycrowds. The public responded so positively that we extended its run afull week. Mr. Grady, in his infinite wisdom, had us stop right there,believing you should always leave your audience wanting more.

Godspell was an experience of excellence in my early life. It madea difference in the lives of those it touched, both in the productionitself and in the audiences for whom we played. It left a mark on myheart and in my life that I'll never forget. To this day, it's still one ofthe most positive memorable experiences I've had in my fifty-plusyears. Even as I write about it now, I feel warmth in my heart and asense of accomplishment at having made a difference in some smallway in the lives of others. Each of us gave our best, and it wasundoubtedly an excellent experience. Excellence makes a difference inthe lives of others.

Since that spring of 1975, I've had many other excellent experiences.Those are the times of my life I remember most. They stand out.They made a difference to me—and others—and gave me atremendous, wonderful sense of accomplishment about doingsomething that really mattered.

Building Excellence

Throughout my career, I've invested countless hours with manypeople, teams, and organizations in dozens of different industries,researching the concepts of excellence and practicing how to build it.I've also pursued the keys of excellence as they apply to my marriage,family, and life. You could say I've become an excellentologist, onewho studies excellence and then puts it into practice.

As my journey progressed, I wondered if there was a frameworkfor excellence that, if followed, would yield the greatest opportunityfor success. Whether it's a for-profit business, a charity, a marriage, afamily, a civic club, a sports team, a church group, or any otherorganization where two or more people come together to accomplishsomething really special, is there a blueprint we can apply that reallyworks?

• How can we create an environment that leads to excellence?

• What needs to happen to enable every individual in anorganization or team to perform at his or her best?

• Are there principles we can follow that will produceexcellence every time?

• Is there a framework for excellence that will guide us in theright direction and give us the best opportunity for success ineverything we set out to do?

• Is it possible to create a blueprint for excellence that, whenapplied, will generate the best possible outcome?

• Can anyone learn how to apply this blueprint to his or herown life, work, or team?

These are not necessarily new questions, but in my research, I failedto find a specific blueprint to guide the way. However, I did findnumerous resources on the subject that explored the questions ofexcellence from many different angles. I'll introduce you to most ofthem as we journey through this book together.

As I searched for excellence in theory, I also searched for it inpractice. I studied some of the great organizations that exist today,including Disney, Ritz-Carlton, Southwest Airlines, and Toyota. Isearched for examples of excellence in their cultures, respecting whatthey had accomplished and learning from their experiences.

The answers to these questions are the focus of this book. Myobjective is to provide you with a framework for building excellencethat you can apply to any aspect of your life. I'll show you how thesetimeless principles and tested practices will work in any environment.It's my sincere hope that applying this framework for excellence inyour life will do as much for you as it has done for me. I believe itwill.

Building a House of Excellence

In my recent work and personal life, I've had several transcendingexperiences where many elements have come together to create anoutcome of excellence. Many of the results I've experienced arenothing short of remarkable. Working with others, we have built ourhouse of excellence. You can too!

The blueprint is not just a way to get great results in business,personal, or group endeavors. It's much more than that. I'veapproached this work from the standpoint of creating a blueprintthat truly drives excellence—not "good enough," mediocrity, orminimum standards. This work is only intended for those whoearnestly strive for an experience of excellence in their lives. If youwant to improve the results you're getting in any area of your life—atwork, home, school, church, or in the community—then read on.

Albert Einstein said, "Insanity is doing the same thing you'vealways done but expecting a different result." If you want to changeyour results, you must change how you got those results. It's assimple as that.

Furthermore, this blueprint will help you create an experience ofexcellence you will always remember and cherish. Your effort willmake a difference in your life and in the lives of others. You'll getexcellent results, you'll produce higher-quality products and services,you'll deliver better service to your customers and guests, you'll createpositive, memorable experiences for everyone involved, you'll grow,and you'll earn financial rewards.

You'll also realize that life is more than results, profits, orpersonal gain. You will discover that it's an opportunity to matter inthe world around you, to have a lasting impact on those you serve,and to leave a legacy of hope and encouragement for others to follow.Excellence creates a life of significance—a life that matters. It's anoble and worthy pursuit. I hope you'll make the commitment rightnow to begin anew in your pursuit of excellence in everything youdo, whether personal or professional. If you do, I guarantee that you,and all those around you, will never be the same again. And if you sodesire, you too can become an excellentologist.

Welcome to your journey toward excellence. Welcome to thescience of excellentology.

Summary of Chapter 1: Excellentology

1. Excellentology is the study and practice of excellence.

2. Excellence requires hard work, persistent discipline, a plan,and the commitment to see it through.

3. There is a blueprint for creating and sustaining excellencethat anyone can learn and apply.

4. Applying the blueprint will create a life of purpose, meaning,and worth for you and all those around you.

Take Action

1. Analyze your current situation.

• Are you satisfied with the results you're getting?

• If not, what are you going to do differently to getdifferent results?

• Do you want your effort to be one of excellence—orare you willing to settle for mediocrity, complacency,good, or good enough?

2. Make a decision.

• Decide right now to commit to creating excellence inwhatever it is you're doing.

• Share your decision with one or two other people youtrust who will encourage you along the way.

3. Commit to a new direction.

• Commit to the decision you have just made.

• Document your commitment, sign it, and date it. Letthis be the first entry in your new journal ofexcellence.

• Document your thoughts, actions, revelations, andresults along the way. We can learn much from ourexperiences if we just pay attention.

Design a Blueprint

I know of no more encouraging fact than theunquestionable ability of man to elevate his life byconscious endeavor.

—Henry David Thoreau

Can you imagine trying to build a house without first designing ablueprint for the builders to follow? Similarly, what makes us thinkwe could experience any level of excellence without a blueprint, aplan to guide us toward our destination? Does such a blueprint forexcellence exist—or do we have to figure it out for ourselves? Thatwas my question thirty years ago as I began the search for such a plan.

As a result, I've learned that the blueprint for excellence doesexist. When diligently pursued, it can produce remarkable results inany environment. Using this blueprint, my organization soaredrapidly to national attention as rookie of the year with a nationalhealthcare consulting firm. We achieved dramatic improvements inquality, customer perception of service, turnover, employeeengagement, and growth. Using this blueprint at the team level, myteam gained national recognition for three best practices inorganizational development interventions, taking us to the nationalconference platform every year from 2004 to 2009. Using thisblueprint at the individual level, my teammates soared to newperformance levels and were recognized internally as some of thehighest performers in the organization. Additionally, I, as theirleader, experienced significant personal growth and achieved a higherlevel of excellence in my own career and personal life—a level ofpersonal value and fulfillment I had never before achieved. My teammembers also say the same about themselves.

Using this blueprint at church, we discerned balanced clarity offocus in our activities and rallied the members to new levels ofChristian action. Using the blueprint at home, we have found peaceand joy in an environment of love and service. Using it in my ownlife, I have found joy, fulfillment, and purpose that brings worth andvalue to others and me. This Blueprint for Excellence can be appliedto any endeavor.

9. Excellence produces a life of joy and fulfillment.

So where do we start? What is this blueprint I keep referring to?Building a culture of excellence is like building a house—and thebeginning of any home-building project requires a blueprint. Weneed a plan to show us how to gather the raw materials, lay a solidfoundation, frame it up, attach the roof, and apply all the finishingtouches.

The Raw Materials

Before we begin laying the foundation, we should assemble theappropriate raw materials. As I talk with other organizations, teams,and individuals around the country, I'm often asked these questions:

• What two or three things have had the most impact on yourorganization's success?

• What is the secret to your success?

The answers to these questions are the raw materials for our ownhouse of excellence.

1. Leadership excellence. Organizations of excellence haveexcellent leadership. As the leader goes, so goes the team. Asdescribed by Jim Collins in Good to Great, it starts at the topwith a level-five leader. Without a dedicated level-five leader,everything will be a challenge—and many things will beimpossible. Collins defines a level-five leader as one who"builds enduring greatness through a paradoxical blend ofpersonal humility and professional will." A level-five leader ishumble and determined and represents the highest level ofexecutive capability. Level-five leaders are self-effacingindividuals who display fierce resolve to do whatever needs tobe done to make the organization great. They are incrediblyambitious, but their ambition is first and foremost for theinstitution, not themselves (Collins, Good to Great, pp. 20-21).

2. The right people in the right roles. The right person in theright role at the right time with trust and accountability at alllevels. First who, then what. Sub-standard, low performancecannot be tolerated. Attitudes that derail the team must beeliminated. As Collins puts it, you must have the right peoplein the right seats on the bus.

3. A proven and tested method. A framework that guides andpromotes excellence. Left up to chance, most efforts will fail.The framework is the road map—the blueprint. Tactics,processes, and all activities must be targeted towardachievement of the mission and vision. The framework mustrequire consideration of all important aspects that driveorganizational success. The house of excellence blueprintprovides such a framework.

In chapter 17, we'll explore the first two of our raw materials—leadershipexcellence and the right people on the bus. The third rawmaterial, a framework, is the focus of chapters 3-16.

The Roof

Let's begin with a discussion about the roof. Stephen Covey, in The 7Habits of Highly Effective People, points out that we should "beginwith the end in mind." The roof represents the end objective, thedesired ultimate destination, and is divided into three sections.

The first, or top, section is organizational excellence. Your overallobjective is to create an organization of excellence. Using a tool manyrefer to as an organizational scorecard, we'll create specific measurableobjectives that will enable you to measure your progress. The topmanagement team is responsible for this level of outcome. Inbusiness, this would include the top leader and his or her directreports. The leader's compensation, future, and well-being in theorganization should rest on the progress achieved at this level. If a payraise is awarded to this team in any performance period, it should bebased on the progress of the organization as measured by these goals.In chapter 13, we'll describe these goals in detail and introduce youto some tools to make this happen.

The second, or middle, level of the roof represents team excellence.Most organizations are comprised of a subset of teams ordepartments. For the organization to perform at a consistently highlevel of excellence, each team within the organization must performat a consistently high level of excellence. Excellent teams buildexcellent organizations. Team goals must align with organizationgoals. This may appear obvious and elementary, but have you everworked in an organization or been part of a team effort where strivingfor excellence was never even mentioned? Most of us talk a goodgame about creating high-performing teams—but only in the well-structuredteams and organizations is there an intentional plan formaking it happen. In chapter 14, we'll describe the specific plan andstrategy for ensuring team excellence.