Excellent, or not at all
We are in the middle of a bathroom renovation. A simple project has turned into a nightmare.
Why?
The people we hired to do the job don’t believe in excellence.
Tradespeople sometimes try their luck with female couples. It is as if these men think my wife and I are females living in 1890 with little inclination to be in charge of anything other than a tapestry project.
The first worker turned up late each day, then told us he had run out of time to complete the project and didn’t come back.
He left a trail of destruction that is proving costly to correct.
Why isn’t excellence a given?
In an industry where people need a service like plumbing, demand is so high that we beg these people to come and help. We give them trust. They aren’t selling excellence, they are selling peace of mind.
The trouble is, not all of them deliver.
What does it take to be excellent?
There are a few key elements that make someone excellent:
consistency
pride in work
continuous self-improvement
clean and tidy approach (mental and physical space)
clear and timely communication
This needs to be taught in schools. It is vital. We are leaning towards a future where we will simply transact with other people for services (rather than big companies hiring many employees). This will let excellence float to the top.
