“But what’s wrong with being perfect?” asked my client.
“Nothing,” I
replied with a wink. “As long as it doesn’t kill you.” This
particular client, like many entrepreneurs, is an A-type,
make-it-happen kind of person. She demands a lot
because she gives a lot. It is this quality that makes her
successful in her chosen line of business, though lately
she has been suffering the consequences. She has been
working long hours but has not been feeling “the love”
as she calls it. Her staff seem to be making mistakes
all the time and her temper is short. She is increasingly
irritated by her family and feels that she handles the
majority of responsibility in parenting. When we explored
the subject a little deeper, my client admitted that she
often checks things two or three times because she
does not trust her staff to get it right. One of her staff
members even said to her, “We know you check our
work so sometimes we don’t try as hard because we
know you’ll fix it.” She realised that
she took on the majority of the home responsibilities
because she did not trust her husband to do the job as
well as she knew she would. She also realised that she
felt very guilty when taking time out and used criticism
as a tool to motivate herself. No doubt, many of us can
re- late. An entrepreneur is a particular type of person:
adventurous, driven and energetic, with a view of
possibility. The down side is that entrepreneurs are also
prone to overworking, taking on too much and
perfectionism – the sometimes lethal art of trying to get
everything right. Striving to be better is healthy but
perfectionism can be deadly in organisations. Most
perfectionists tend to: Be highly critical, often looking for
what is wrong; Have high, often unrealistic standards;
Get depressed by unmet goals; Fear failure;
Procrastinate; Value independence over collaboration;
and get defensive easily. You might be surprised to see
procrastination on the list but the truth is that often, the
fear of failing paralyses perfectionists. They do not
delegate because they value independence over
collaboration, but end up feeling over- whelmed with
how much there is to do and yet are unable to make a
start for fear of failure. If you recognise yourself in the
above, what should you do next? Being a perfectionist is
not a bad thing but it can get out of hand. Like most
things, awareness is the first step, although sometimes
it helps to have a few guidelines.
Letting go of in- grained habits can feel a little daunting
at first but it is the key to unlocking the magic you felt
when you first started your business. The tips below are
intended to keep perfectionist tendencies in check and
help you perform optimally. The idea is that you are left
with enough drive and ambition to forge ahead but also
time and energy to enjoy the journey.
Don’t sweat the small stuff: We all know the saying but
it re- ally is true. If your assistant spills coffee over
some documents, take a deep breath and do not let it
get to you. Sitting in traffic, late appointments, delayed
deals – the truth is that these things are part of life.
Keep your focus on what you can control, not what you
cannot.
Make mistakes: Mistakes provide the greatest
opportunities for growth. We learn by making mistakes.
When things do go wrong, in- stead of focusing on
what, look instead for the reasons why and use ... Click to read more -
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