How do managers pursue excellence in team performance? Excellence is in the eyes of the beholder. However, the meaning of the word excellence has been significantly diminished in recent times. Much of today’s excellence is equivalent to yesterday’s mediocrity. Instead of raising performance standards because of the management tools available, we continue to lower them by making allowances for and justifying nonperformance. These lower standards are demonstrated in every profession and in every line of work.
Managers also need to bring the right tools to the job; those tools include the ability to think and think deeply before making serious decisions. Pursuing excellence is hard work; it involves total dedication toward some objective.
Managers have the responsibility for setting the pace, for setting the performance standards, and for raising the expectations of the team. Setting the pace involves establishing stretch targets that force the team to examine its work methods and find the ones that are most appropriate. Following the same process because it’s known and easy isn’t acceptable. Setting performance standards at all professional levels involves considering the alternatives and then selecting the best solution that meets the requirements. If a cookie-cutter approach meets the requirements, use it, but make sure you’re using the right cookie cutter. Raising expectations from the team involves reducing time and cost, improving quality of work methods and work output, eliminating communication barriers, and enforcing discipline. Discipline as used here means mental discipline, mastering the body of knowledge and theory and technique for effective application.
Not all team members will live up to expectations regardless of the approach and energy dedicated to selecting the team. There will be obstructionists because their talent may be essential. There will also be the socializing loafers. It may be necessary to put up with the obstructionists if the competence or skills they bring to the table are absolutely essential. I define an obstructionist as one who always challenges everyone and everything regardless of the issue but seldom offers any constructive alternative. Don’t equate the obstructionist with the constructive maverick who raises questions others failed to ask, but also works toward a resolution of those differences. The obstructionist must be controlled; the constructive maverick should be encouraged. Socializing loafers also need to be controlled because they waste time for others; they also become the rumor messengers. Most loafing takes place when people do not have enough work to keep them fully occupied. The problem can be curtailed and eliminated by increasing the workload.