“Success is not about doing things right once but doing them right consistently.”
Tony Robbins
I have often told the story about being put down by a waiter. I was conversing with him, praising the culinary masterpiece I had just savored. I told him that the flavors of the dish were extraordinary, and the presentation of the food was nothing short of marvelous. He responded to me in a sarcastic tone, “If we can’t get the food right, then what are we doing here?
At first, I was jarred by his comment, but after some reflection I said to myself “why don’t more people have the attitude that getting things right ultimately defines who someone is and separates them from most other people.” As William Foster once said, “Quality is never an accident, it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution.”
This definition of quality dovetails nicely into creating repeatable processes. Don Connelly and I have always stressed the importance of creating repeatable processes for every aspect of your business life (and probably for your personal life as well.) You should create them for opening accounts, retaining accounts, servicing accounts, managing assets, managing your staff, and creating the best customer service experience in the industry and everything else.
Someone once said that excellence is doing ordinary things in an extraordinary way. The food I had that evening did not get memorable by accident. It was the result of creating a recipe, and a lot of trial and error. Once the chef realized he had it perfect, he wrote it down precisely and then repeated the process over and over again. The presentation wasn’t an accident either. It was the result of skillful execution and repetition.
“Getting it right,” is the pursuit of perfection, with a path marked by continuous practice, iterative adjustments and a relentless refinement until excellence is achieved. To execute all these things yourself from scratch is quite an undertaking. This process mirrors the journey of the chef refining a recipe; starting with a foundation, honing it through practice and embracing feedback to elevate it to new heights. That is possibly why 20 million cookbooks fly off the shelves each year in the United States alone.
Where do you find your cookbook to serve as a starting point for how you are going to run your business? Look not only to the shelves of wisdom but also to the guiding voices of those who have traversed the path before.
Whether you are a financial advisor, a wholesaler or a money manager, you can greatly reduce the time it takes to putting more effective repeatable processes into effect by having a refined pair of eyes examine your activity so that you can be sure you are “Getting it Right” and illuminating the way to a future defined by excellence.
Richard J. Capalbo 626.484.5744 richardjcapalbo.com
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