Strive for Excellence

from the book: Wake Up! 42 Ways to Improve Black America Now, by Gary A. McAbee

In a former life, my job was driving a limousine. In this role, my goal was to strive for excellence by being the best limo driver in the company. After a year of learning and providing strong customer service, I became recognized as one of the top drivers. Whenever VIP clients needed a ride, only the top drivers were selected to cater to their needs. On a particular night, Roger Clemens the future Baseball Hall of Famer needed a ride to and from a function. This function took place on the night before he made history: winning his 300th career game. The pressure to win his next game was mounting because of the significance of the achievement. He needed to relax and enjoy this occasion, then prepare for the next day’s game. Guess who was selected to accompany Mr. Clemens?

Those who strive for excellence keep in mind the reason for being excellent: self-improvement. Attempting to be the best at something should not occur at the expense of others. We should not get involved in attacking others, endless comparisons, jealousy, envy, or spiteful behavior. These behaviors waste time and effort; therefore, they cannot be a part of the process of striving for excellence. Those who strive for excellence put in their best effort.

Think about it for a second. When you have your own company, what kind of employees would you want? Would you want to pay employees who own their job and its responsibilities, or waste money on those who do not? Would you invest in people who complete tasks to the best of their ability, or would you rather have people who do not care for the quality of their work? Would you want employees who value time and use it wisely, or waste time?

Wasting time equals wasting opportunities. Wasting time equals wasting a chance to learn something new. Wasting time equals wasting a chance to improve a process. Wasting time equals wasting potential. Most importantly, wasting time equals wasting money. Those who waste time do not strive for excellence. My philosophy is that if you are not striving for excellence in your workplace, find somewhere else to work where you will!

People who consistently strive for excellence avoid these common traps to be the best they can be:

They do not waste time…

They do not gossip or assassinate people’s character…

They do not dismiss new ideas without trying them first…

They do not compare their rewards, or lack of recognition, to others…

They do not complete tasks only to be rewarded or recognized…

They do not change their ethics or lower their standards to be the best…

You might as well excel… strive for excellence!

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