Welcome to the NoahGuy Blog. This Blog exists to inspire you to Live Outside The Box in business and everyday life. Entrepreneurship is my passion. Follow me as I embark on the journey.
Action over Perfection
Photo by David van Dijk on Unsplash
One of the biggest threats to a business, is perfection. The desire for perfection breeds micromanagement and fear.
As an entrepreneur, it is natural to want people to do things 100% like us. This is not realistic. Every person is different. Is it possible to find people that do things similarly or have similar mindsets? Yes, but not perfect.
Instead of perfection we need to focus on action. Will you make a mistake? Absolutely. But, that is how we learn. Take a step forward, learn from that step and keep improving.
I am a huge supporter of Agile continuous improvement. The idea that improvement is in a continuous cycle.
The focus for Agile is in development, but it should be in all areas of business.
We need to continuously try new ideas. Keep the good ones and throw the bad ones.
Never stop seeking improvement and listening to new ideas.
Without this mentality, a business will not grow.
The company I am at now, had been using the same powerpoint theme for years. No change.
The theme was cluttered and boring.
I quickly realized that we needed a fresh look.
But, implementing the new theme was like pulling teeth.
People were afraid if we changed it, clients wouldn’t like it. Or if we went from 4:3 ratio to 16:9 widescreen, it would be a disaster when it came time to present. There was a clear fear of change.
To get over the hump in business, we have to be quick to change, and empower people to make those changes. if the idea doesn’t pan out, empower them to try something different.
Continuously make changes and improve. Take action over perfection.
Mise En Place
According to google, “Mise En Place,”(Thank you Google), is a French culinary term for “Putting in place or Everything in its place.”
I first heard this term in my Acceleration In Mathematics(AIM) class at San Jacinto College.
AIM = College Preparatory Math + College Algebra.
Taught with two dedicated professors and collaboration among students, AIM is 5 days a week.
Unlike the traditional College Algebra class, we were set up for success. Especially for those of us who took a lengthy vacation from Mathematics.
Mise En Place was introduced to us to help manipulate word problems. On the surface these problems looked impossible but once we had all of our ingredients set aside, we were ready to solve it.
Mise En Place is useful in cooking, and mathematics, but what about business?
Like in culinary, in business there are a lot of ingredients for success. It takes time to build with the right ones and piece them all together. One wrong ingredient can ruin your dish.
The clear and simple definition of Mise En Place for me is “Preparation.”
In business, preparation is a key factor for success.
That business idea you have needs careful Mise En Place.
Business planning, building capital, branding, marketing, it all involves Mise En Place.
Your business plan is the most critical for building a solid foundation. It is your preparation for a successful launch and to get you through the first 5 years.
Society has crafted a way to get things quicker than we could ever imagine.
In business, if you don’t have the capital, you can get a business loan.
Instead of building capital on your own or seeking wise investors, you can pile debt on top of your overhead.
With Mise En Place, you do not need to go into debt to start a business.
Don’t just start a business, do it the right way. Do your Mise En Place and you will build a solid foundation to get you over that critical 5 year mark.
Mise En Place.
SMILE
Whatever you are called to do on this earth, it is going to take a boat load of work.
One of the keys of putting in the work and dong it well is having joy in the process.
Working in corporate in America, it is evident that people are working without joy.
Whether they are doing something they dislike or work in a poor culture, the lack of joy in their work is crippling their life.
Life is short. Time is precious. If we are going to work, we might as well do it with a smile on our faces.
From a leadership perspective, we need to change work culture.
Whether you work in Corporate America or own your own business, be a leader of positivity and joyfulness.
It is our responsibility to work with Joy. When you do this, others will see it.
You could be tasked with most monotonous project there is; do it with a smile.
For me, my Joy is found in Jesus. I know that no matter what I am going through, He is right there with me. This gives me comfort and gives me a reason to get up in the morning. It is my motivation.
While I have Jesus, I still struggle with working in corporate America. Especially for a company that put profit over people.
But this only motivates me to keep going so one day I can create a culture in my company that makes people love coming to work.
Be apart of that revolution. The Joy revolution. Make people smile.
Whatever you do, do it with a smile on your face.
What is Excellence?
From Corporate America to Academia, you see the word Excellence thrown around often.
But do people really understand the meaning behind the word Excellence?
I feel like it is used carelessly.
To strive for Excellence, is no small task.
I think we need to take is more seriously.
We should understand what it means, or do not use it at all.
So let me help clarify the meaning.
About two years ago, I was in a Veteran Entrepreneur Bootcamp at the University of Houston.
I was discussing my business plan with my mentors and we were on the topic of Business Values.
With great thought and care, I came up with Excellence, Love and Diligence.
But the word Excellence struck a cord with one of the mentors.
It seemed to him, that it was too strong of a word to be a business value.
I respectfully disagreed and it is still a value.
Why? Am I stubborn? Some might think so.
No. I simply hate mediocrity. It is the bane of my existence.
People see Excellence and think “Perfection.”
It is not perfection, but the pursuit.
We are human. We are not perfect, and to expect perfection is stupid. We will fall short constantly and do daily.
But to expect Excellence is wise and manageable.
To expect Excellence from someone is to expect 100% effort, a great amount of care, and a positive attitude. Anything else, is not exceptable.
I strive for excellence in my work, and expect the same from people I work with.
Of course I am disappointed at times because excellence is not practiced enough.
If someone royally screwed the pooch, look for attitude and effort. That is something to work with.
To put it in a simple list, here is what Excellence is:
Attention to Detail
Continuous Improvement
Love/Care
Attitude
Dilligence
If you strive to do well in these 5 areas, you are striving for excellence.