Perfection vs Execution - Where is the line?

[inabox1]

I recently finished reading TGRRE - one chapter that really stuck in my mind was Chapter 9: "The 'Good Isn't Good Enough' Principle".

For those who haven't read it, from what I understand it is essentially saying that if you aim for your work to be at a "Good" level, then the output of your work is likely to be at a mediocre level.

However, if you aim for your work to be at a level of "Excellence", then your likely outcome will be a "Good" level.

The idea is to strive for a level above what you are actually looking to achieve.

While I like this concept and have absolutely integrated it into my work, there's a bit of a conflict in my head.

I'm a big fan of the "Ready, Fire, Aim" strategy. Take action now - act, assess and improve later.

This brings me to the dilemma - what is the ideal balance of action vs perfection?

Take a blog post for example.

At what point should you take action and post the blog post?
1. Right after writing the first draft
2. After some spelling corrections
3. Making the information more concise
4. Adding new images and points to your blog post
5. Getting your blog post to over 2,000 words
6...
7...
8... (you get the idea)

My thought process is if you focus too much on achieving a level of "Excellence" in your work (and I understand this is subjective, which complicates things even further) you risk wasting time over-perfecting something.

One analogy I've heard recently is if you spend 4 hours getting something from 0% to 95%, is it really worth spending another 4 hours getting it from 95% to 100%?

I'm not attacking MJ's principle here, I just thought this would make for an interesting discussion.

Where do you see the line between Perfection and Execution?

 

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[Black_Dragon43]

I recently finished reading TGRRE - one chapter that really stuck in my mind was Chapter 9: "The 'Good Isn't Good Enough' Principle".

For those who haven't read it, from what I understand it is essentially saying that if you aim for your work to be at a "Good" level, then the output of your work is likely to be at a mediocre level.

However, if you aim for your work to be at a level of "Excellence", then your likely outcome will be a "Good" level.

The idea is to strive for a level above what you are actually looking to achieve.

While I like this concept and have absolutely integrated it into my work, there's a bit of a conflict in my head.

I'm a big fan of the "Ready, Fire, Aim" strategy. Take action now - act, assess and improve later.

This brings me to the dilemma - what is the ideal balance of action vs perfection?

Take a blog post for example.

At what point should you take action and post the blog post?
1. Right after writing the first draft
2. After some spelling corrections
3. Making the information more concise
4. Adding new images and points to your blog post
5. Getting your blog post to over 2,000 words
6...
7...
8... (you get the idea)

My thought process is if you focus too much on achieving a level of "Excellence" in your work (and I understand this is subjective, which complicates things even further) you risk wasting time over-perfecting something.

One analogy I've heard recently is if you spend 4 hours getting something from 0% to 95%, is it really worth spending another 4 hours getting it from 95% to 100%?

I'm not attacking MJ's principle here, I just thought this would make for an interesting discussion.

Where do you see the line between Perfection and Execution?

I think you’re overthinking it. I do things to a great standard of quality or I don’t do them at all. If something doesn’t deserve your time, then don’t give your time, but don’t half-a$$ it.

Half-assing things is for losers. I never half-assed anything in my life. My work represents me, therefore it’s either great or nothing at all.

 

[Johnny boy]

Do it as good as you can

key phrase is "do it".

In our business we do a 'decent' job. But when customers call 5 other places and we are the only ones who even answer the phone, much less show up, much less give a fair price, much less actually get the work done....we're the best option.

Some customers have told us "you are literally the worst company ever"

Many, many more have said "you guys are amazing, here's a tip! We love you guys!"

We get calls daily about how good everything is and how much they appreciate us. We get dozens of silent approvals each day by lack of complaints. And just today our guys let a dog get out and had to track it down. We get our fair share of complaints too.

We F*ck up daily, do a great job daily, etc.

Lots of businesses never grow because the owners expect everything to be done the same way THEY would do it, which is basically perfect. They say "workers suck, I'll never grow like this, better to just stay small".

How much water can get in a boat before it sinks?

It's that kind of thing. You can overthink it and try to make sure a drop never spills in. You can underthink it and sink your ship because of your "F*ck it" attitude that lets in way too much water.

Or you can be realistic and say "let's try our best" and when you get holes in the ship, you do your best to plug up the worst offenders and keep sailing.

You need to remember the business is not you...you are just a temporary employee until you get big enough to justify having someone else take your job.​

So you need to build it with that in mind. It needs to work when you take average people, have them work for an average manager, with an average person doing customer service, and all managed by an average regional manager. You can have an extraordinary business, but you cannot expect to have perfect infallible people working for you. It needs to still work even when everyone is just an average person doing some mediocre 9-5 work with a 9-5 attitude.

Demanding rockstar employees means you are lazy. It's one thing to try and find great employees, and expecting great results, but if your business only WORKS if you have perfection...then you are being lazy in how you set up your business.

Don't chase perfect work or perfect results. Create REALLY GOOD systems that MINIMIZE mistakes from NORMAL people and that should be good enough, and at the end of the day, just do as good as you can.

 

[Johnny boy]

Also, industries have different expectations. There are different variables. Even models within the same industry can differ for where the line is for perfection vs execution.

"Ready, fire, aim" doesn't work that well with brain surgery. "Do things before you're ready" and you'll end up in jail lol.

But overthinking is typically the most common offense. Trying to cope with uncertainty and being afraid of making adjustments constantly is what typically happens.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

Don't mistake excellence for perfection.

One analogy I've heard recently is if you spend 4 hours getting something from 0% to 95%, is it really worth spending another 4 hours getting it from 95% to 100%?

And yet IMO, it is that extra 5% which separates the wheat from the chaff, it separates mediocrity from greatness.

That extra 5% is what makes champions and first place finishes. In track-and-field, skiing, and many other disciplines, the difference between the winner and loser is TENTHS, even HUNDREDS of a second.

Do you think that extra 5% meant something?

Again, seek excellence which has an end point. Perfection, like "more" or "better" has no end point and is like a fractal that continues forever.

 

[Walter Hay]

Don't chase perfect work or perfect results. Create REALLY GOOD systems that MINIMIZE mistakes from NORMAL people and that should be good enough, and at the end of the day, just do as good as you can.

Once a system is developed to the point that it works effectively for every person involved in operating under that system it must be formalized as an instruction manual, or as it is known in franchising, an Operations Manual.

My daughter has inherited my mind set that dictates that I (and now she) be very organized. This has led to her using her own initiative and writing such a manual after being called on to train a new employee at a government institution.

On that first training assignment she had to rely on her memory to ensure that she missed nothing important, and she found herself making notes as she taught the new employee. After she was satisfied that the new worker had settled in she put those notes together and expanded them to include every important detail.

The existence of such a manual makes training a new employee relatively easy.

Walter
P.S. I have OCD, so that accounts for my obsessive attention to detail and systems.

 

[heavy_industry]

This brings me to the dilemma - what is the ideal balance of action vs perfection?

I don't think there could be any balance between them.
Perfection is an imaginary concept that doesn't exist, cannot be achieved, and will stunt action.

Work until the threshold of excellence has been achieved, then move to the next item.

If you find that the quality is still low, despite a lot time being invested in production, it could mean a lack of skill and experience. In this case a better approach would be to focus on quantity over quality. Do more, publish more, get feedback, gain experience, and then come back at a later time and improve your previous work.

 

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