“Perfect” a word most widely used and not properly understood in our daily lives - Personal & Professional. Change is imminent, especially when it’s for good. An admirer of Japanese style of Management, I believe there is nothing called Perfect in this World. Whatever exists today is for improvement tomorrow. And that is what brings Growth and Profitability, either Personal or Professional.
“Perfect” a word most widely used and not properly understood in our daily lives - Personal & Professional. Change is imminent, especially when it’s for good. An admirer of Japanese style of Management, I believe there is nothing called Perfect in this World. Whatever exists today is for improvement tomorrow. And that is what brings Growth and Profitability, either Personal or Professional.
Continual Improvement:
Continuously improving in Personal processes is welcome. However, in Profession, continuous improvement should be only the domain of R&D. Rest of the functions should look only at continual improvements. This helps both Business Process and Organization to stabilize improvements and commercialize the gains from such improvements, either in Products or Processes or both.
Individual:
Being perfect means there is no scope for improvement. Good is always preferred as we aim to better ourselves, always. Reference point is current and improvements can be from next moment.
Learning & Unlearning are Hall marks of today’s successful individuals and more so for professionals. Choice will always depend on one’s ability to know what to Learn & Unlearn. It is important to always remember the business fundamentals as they do not change.
Organization:
Waiting for perfection will hasten the inevitable. Therefore, good should be sufficient to test waters. Improvements should be on the go. We can experience this mostly in Consumer durables market.
Any product or process will need proper validation. Despite good validation, there are chances that not all product or process changes succeed. Nevertheless, even the ones that do not succeed help learn what does not work. However, it is important such failures are documented well to prevent repeats.
Mindset:
Working towards perfection should be a passion and not obsession. It is a difference between our rational and emotional inclinations. Being passionate helps us evaluate what works and what does not.
As much as we embark the journey towards perfection, it is important to continue focus on commercials. Eventual success should always be in financial terms and nothing else.
Being passionate also helps us to change courses as and when needed. It is a proven fact - more than 70% improvements have not worked for the first time. When continually improved, chances of success increases manifold times. Even if not, we get 30% success only because of our attempts equally at what worked and what has not. It is better to try and fail rather than being staid.
Shorter product life cycles being order of the day, has resulted in building adaptable organizations and the shift naturally will be towards asset light companies. Adaptive organizations are usually flexible to change at short notices. Most successful of such organizations are pioneers in driving market changes and are the ones who have well defined exit strategies.
Let’s march towards perfection continuously and not be perfect.