As a part of our company’s culture building, we’ve developed a list of 21 Standards that define who we are, what we do and how we do it. Prominently displayed in the office, the standards are designed to be daily reminders for everyone of how our culture and ethos differentiates us from the competition. This year, one of Drew’s ides to help reinforce the standards at a personal level is to have everyone pick a standard or two and write a short essay on what the standard means to them. Once again, it’s my turn.
Produce Quality Work
Take pride in the quality of work you produce. Everything you touch has your signature on it. Sign in bold ink!
In an art collector’s estate auction in 1958, a heavily varnished, overpainted and damaged painting of Jesus Christ, holding a crystal orb and gesturing a blessing, sold for less than $100. The work was believed to be a copy of a student’s copy of an original work by Leonardo Da Vinci. It was later sold in 2005 to a consortium of art collectors who believed it might be more than it appeared. They then commenced an investigation worthy of a high tech CSI episode including an international who’s who of art curators, historians and museum experts. Advanced technical analysis including X-rays and infrared light illuminated handiwork, techniques and artistic characteristics that were hallmarks unique to Leonardo himself. After an extensive investigation, the work known as Salvator Mundi was authenticated as an original Leonardo Da Vinci painting and sold to a Swiss art dealer in 2013 for $75 Million.
During the time of the Renaissance, it was uncommon for artists to sign their own work, but today, we expect it. We expect it from artists, musicians, lawyers, architects and designers. But what about marketers, sales people, customer service representatives and bookkeepers? What kind of signature is imprinted on our work?
Producing quality work starts with the premise that we’re actually producing. Not deflecting, paper pushing, dodging responsibility, redirecting ownership, passing off to someone else. We’re taking the time to do our work, whether that’s solving a customer’s problem, ensuring a shipment shows up on time, crafting a marketing message or chasing down an order confirmation. We’re fully engaged and present, focusing on the work.
Of course, that begs the question, what is the work? There was a time where the work moved down an assembly line in front of us. Show up, clock in, make a widget, clock out, go home, rinse & repeat. Quality was measured in quantity per minute. But as we’ve moved from the industrial age to the age of information, from a manufacturing economy to a knowledge economy, quality work is as much about the service we provide as it is about the widget we produce.
I’ve heard it said that a fine dining experience is as much about the service and ambiance as it is about the food. In fact, modern gastrophysical research tells us that the taste and satisfaction we experience at a meal is directly affected by the environment in which we experience it. In other words, our perception of the quality of the meal has as much to do with the ambiance, the cutlery, the music, the presentation, the host, etc., as it does with the quality of the food and technical expertise of the chef.
So what does that mean for us? It means, in the words of marketing guru Seth Godin, “that the work might not be what you think it is. A doctor,” says Seth, “might think her job is to cure diseases. But in fact, that’s not what gets and keeps patients. The cure is a goal, and it’s important, but it’s not sufficient. Doctors who contribute to the academic community, are personable, take a moment to bring emotional labor to their patient, invest in staff and training and put their office in a medical crossroads always do better than doctors who don’t.”
The work isn’t simply the job description, although it certainly includes the job description. But the work also includes the “soft stuff” that makes the difference between an economic transaction and a satisfied customer.
As in the Leonardo Da Vinci example, our work bears the marks of our character. Character is a word that gets thrown around a lot, but what exactly does it mean? Turns out that the origin of the word character is that of a stamping or engraving tool used to make distinctive marks. The idea of distinctive qualities and distinguishing characteristics is what we think of today. Imagine an intricately carved piece of furniture. We say it has character because the effort, skill, technique, materials and marks of the craftsman who made it. These traits are evident when we look at it. Character defines the work and attests to the worker.
Like Leonardo’s paintings, our signature is imprinted on everything we do in the way we go about doing it. From the voice we use when we answer the phone to the effort and thoroughness we put forth when working though our task list to the way we manage our time and work through conflict, our work can’t help but reflect character because we produced it. And “quality” presumes that character is good character, built to withstand the test of time.
What motivates us to produce quality work? To be sure, some people are born with an intrinsic motivation to do their best at whatever they put their hand to. Others are heavily motivated by the impact their work has on others. One thing I have learned over the course of my career, and in my life in general, is that one of the greatest motivating factors that drives people is that of feeling appreciated, valued and understood. And I believe that to create an environment and culture where people are motivated to produce quality work requires hard work and intentional effort.
And what does motivation turned into action look like? Certainly knowledge and skill are important ingredients, but let me suggest 4 P’s that can be easily digested and organizationally transformative. They are:
- Passion: Believing in and committing to the work that needs to be done. Bringing energy and enthusiasm to the table. Genuinely caring about the work.
- Presence: Being fully engaged, attentive, focused and empathetic. Listening more than talking. Aware of the unspoken questions, body language and emotional state.
- Persistence: Staying with tasks until they are done. Not leaving loose ends or unanswered questions. Communicating with clarity and following up with consistency.
- Professionalism: Showing mutual respect to one another. Not taking things personally. Avoiding the temptation to get swept up in emotion. Embodying the values of the organization.
And what of that Leonardo painting? Turns out, that Swiss art dealer eventually sold it to a Russian fertilizer billionaire for $127 Million. Of course our work isn’t likely to fetch such a princely sum, but when we’re passionate, present, persistent and professional, it can have a tremendous and long lasting impact on the people we serve, whether team members, customers, friends and family.