It doesn’t matter where you excel, it’s where you need to improve that counts
Are you curious? Sometimes I wonder just how curious people really are. For example do you talking to those next to you at conferences? I don’t mean about where they are from or other generalities about their company, but rather to find out how and where they can help you improve in your business. I am always surprised to find people attending conferences that listen intently to the speakers but somehow don’t think about talking with fellow, attendees despite the fact that they are also at that event with the aim to learn new ideas and improve. There is also the danger of any discussion focusing only on where one excels and not on where improvement is needed. For example, we commonly tend toward mentally checking off where our performance metrics match or exceed those we are engaging with. For example it doesn’t matter that you beat another company in 99 out of 100 performance metrics. What does matter is that one metric that exceeds yours? That’s where you can find improvement. Even you have won a slew of national awards you can still find someone to learn from.
How curious are you to find out what that area is you can learn about from the person next to you?
About the Author
Denis Leonard
Denis Leonard has a degree in construction engineering, and an M.B.A. and a Ph.D. in quality management. He is a Fellow of the American Society for Quality and has been an Examiner for the Baldrige National Quality Award Board of Examiners, a Judge on the International Team Excellence Competition, and a Lead Judge on the National Housing Quality Award. He has experience as a quality manager in the home building industry as well as construction engineer, site manager, and in training, auditing, and consulting with expertise in strategic and operational quality improvement initiatives. His work has achieved national quality, environmental, and safety management awards for clients.