Keep it moving through the team

Playing well on a team means not slowing things down unnecessarily or holding things up. To collaborate, contribute, do our bit or add our expertise to a piece of work, is a fundamental part of work.

It's rare we work in total isolation - unless in our own business - even then, we might have a team member, suppliers and ... customers.

Do you know how your working style impacts the 'flow' of work through the team? Are you searching for 'more' or to make something you're working on 'better' before it's 'done' or handed on to others?

Perfectionism and the pursuit of 'right' isn't just an individual thing; it has a huge flow on effect for the wider team and beyond through the organisation, to customers and clients.

This article talks about the impact of perfectionism on the team.

Have you been slowed down in a team where someone might be going for perfect?

Love to hear your thoughts. 

Tinkering kills productivity

Tinkering. It's one of the top productivity killers in the workplace today.

You know how it goes ... you've got a presentation, report, something to get 'done'. And you start it. But then when do you stop? When is it 'done'? Hour after hour. Possibly day after day. For some important reports and presentations it even becomes week after week. (month after month anyone?)

Tinker tinker tinker. We fiddle, adjust, move the shape a little to the left, a little to the right, change the font, change the size, change a word here and there. Change things back again. Re-read, change, edit, fix and fiddle.

This is tinkering with information and communication. And it's a massive time waster.

In our efforts to make something 'better' we often spend - or waste - an inordinate amount of time on the things that are less important. Our perception of what constitutes 'value' is skewed; skewed and distorted by our desire to make things look good, impressive, clever, perfect. After all, it reflects on us - doesn't it?

Do you tinker? How do you know when something is 'good enough' to go?

Follow the law of forced efficiency

The incredibly successful Brian Tracy, who authored plenty of books and inspired many to greater things in their life, certainly inspired me in the earlier days of running my business.

I spied one of his books on the shelf of a local bookstore, I jumped at it and thought, ‘this will do; I won't have to read 100 books, I'll just read this one. It will be good enough.’ The book? ‘The 100 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws of Business Success.’ And the Law I love love love? It's # 15: The Law of Forced Efficiency.

It reads ‘The more things you have to do in a limited period of time, the more you will be forced to work on your most important tasks.’ It's just another way of saying ‘there is never enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time to do the most important things.

As you take on more, you'll be forced to act with ‘maximum efficiency’. He continues: ‘If you are successful, you will almost always have too much to do and too little time.’ So ask: what is the most valuable use of my time right now?

And for you? What is the most valuable use of your time right now? I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

Ever had a perfectionist boss?

Perfectionism is no longer a badge of honour. And perfectionist bosses or leaders could be causing problems for their team, contibuting to a 'toxic' workplace or culture.

If you've had a perfectionist boss (most of us can recall a situation or role where nothing was ever 'good enough' for the leader or boss) you'll also remember that things like celebrating the wins, taking risks and trying new things weren't on the agenda.

Going for what's safe and familiar is preferred for the perfectionist, because even when the team does try something new nothing is ever good enough. People tell me about how they don't see themselves working ‘with’ their perfectionist boss but rather as a servant, minion or lackey working ‘for’ them, responding to their requests, changes, standards and expectations.

I’m all for continuous improvement. That’s a different thing. My memory of a perfectionist boss was how they didn't feel too good about their skills or capabilities. It flowed on to the whole team. We felt beaten before we’d started a project. Talk about low morale!

Many workplaces feel 'toxic' and perfectionism sure is an unhelpful game to be going for.

Go for 'good enough' instead.

Have you had a perfectionist boss?

‘ish: The Problem with our Pursuit for Perfection and the Life-Changing Practice of Good Enough’

It’s natural to want to do well at work, study, in life, to do our best. But what happens when striving for the best becomes something more; the pursuit of perfection?

Perfectionism is on the rise and has dire consequences for how we think and feel about ourselves and others, how we think, live, and work. It's been seen to cause over-working, burnout, sleeplessness and mental health problems like depression and anxiety.

We can’t keep going like this! But what’s the alternative if it’s not perfect?

I've been researching, thinking and writing about how we can work in clever ways that tackle our problem with perfect. In my new book ‘ish: The Problem with our Pursuit for Perfection and the Life-Changing Practice of Good Enough’ I explain:

>The problem with pursuing perfect and why we seek it

>The mental loop that traps you into thinking perfection is the answer

>The role of increments, imperfection and iterations in getting things done

>The idea of ‘ish’, which means somewhat or near enough.

Excellence, quality and continuous improvement are important but the pursuit of perfection, not so much. How does perfectionism stop you from getting things done?

Love to hear.