What is your intolerance for compromise? Said another way, when you’ve seemingly done your best, are you satisfied, even if your “best” didn’t get the job done to expectations? It’s good to know your tolerance for compromise and your tolerance for failure.
Where the rubber meets the road, we can’t just talk about getting it done. We’ve got to back it up! When we set the bar for excellence high, we discover who we really are. We show our true selves to others, as well.
“My great concern is not whether you have failed,
but whether you are content with your failure.”
— Abraham Lincoln
This is where the rubber hits the road. At a tire store with customers in urgent need.
Watching the manager interact and artfully manage the fast pace was enlightening. It was obvious from his tone and demeanor that something was different about him.
He didn't get impatient or flustered. He didn't express frustration with constant questions. He responded with kindness and was a patient teacher. His attitude remained consistently respectful and persistently empathetic.
As he walked one customer to the door after completing her installation, he said: "You're going to receive a survey shortly asking how well we did today. If we haven't given you a 10 level of service, then we failed and want to get it right immediately.”
“The quality of a leader is reflected in
the standards they set for themselves.”
— Ray Kroc
What he articulated in that closing moment was his critical line in failure (CLiF). The CLiF reveals our integrity and how honestly we are committed to excellence. This is where reputation begins—at the line that reveals our tolerance for less than.
Is it a 10, 9, 8, 7, .... Does the quality level vary based on our mood and schedule?
If we are sincere about delivering the best possible experience for those we serve, then that bar is high with consistent processes and practices needed to make it true.
“The integrity of the righteous guides them,
but the hypocrisy of the treacherous destroys them.”
— Proverbs 11:3
We discover who we really are in these pivotal moments of service to other people. Doing the best we can do seldom has negative consequences, but it almost always involves investment of time to practice and prepare along with a humble spirit.
Before leaving the tire store, I asked him where he learned these habits of excellence. The influence of parents and teachers were who he credited most as his example.
May your discontent with failure be a delight to those around you as you set the standard high.
