I recently had a dental appointment for a regular teeth cleaning. I went in on a weekend instead of my usual weekday appointments and the hygienist I had that day was someone I had never met before. She introduced herself and said, “I have been doing this a long time so you are in good hands.” I knew she would be very good at what she did, not because of the comment, but because of the people who own the clinic. Ken and Elma hire talent, not bodies, invest in their talent, and run a high quality, highly professional operation, which they are intimately involved in. 

The comment however, got me to thinking. Just because someone has been doing something a long time does that mean they can automatically be trusted to do high quality work?

For some people those years have been committed to the pursuit of excellence and they are on the path to mastery. They continually invest in developing their mind, body and craft. They strive for excellence in everything they do and are continually learning and growing. You are in “good hands” when you work with them. 

For others, they have been putting in time for some, or all of those years. They may have been keen in the early years but as a result of poor culture and a lack of leadership they may have been beat up, and beat down and are now just going through the motions. The number years they have been in the job are not a reflection of their skill level. When you work with them you may, or may not be in “good hands”. 

In some cases new people have the most up to date training and skills and may perform at a higher level than people who have “been doing this a long time”. They are still keen to do a great job and have not been caught up in the efficiency, thoroughness trade off and started taking shortcuts.

What about you? Where are you at in your journey? If you read the W.I.N. Wednesday posts on a regular basis I am going to assume you are committed to the pursuit of excellence and are striving for mastery in some area(s) of your life. The reality however, is that the pursuit of excellence is not a linear progression. We all go through ups and downs. We all fall into slumps at times and may temporarily lose our drive to excel and give in to the biological urge to settle for the most comfortable option. That is part of the human experience. When that happens have some self-compassion, focus on what you control, control the controllable and get back on track. 

What’s Important Now? At some point we will all be in a position to say “I have been doing this a long time.” Make sure you have spent that time well so people are in good hands. 

Take care.

Brian Willis

www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com. 

ONE QUESTION BRINGING FOCUS AND CLARITY IN THE CHAOS AND COMPLEXITY OF TODAY'S WORLD.

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