Standards

The experience of dining at a fine restaurant versus McDonald’s is dramatically different.  Yet remarkably similar….

The differences jump out at you almost immediately:  the location of the restaurant, the greeting (or non-greeting) when you arrive, the dress of the staff, the sounds that you notice, the smells that surround you, and the list goes on/you get it.

The similarities have to do with standards.  In fact, in many cases McDonald’s is often superior to the finest restaurants in this manner!!!  Now I’m not saying that I’d prefer to dine there or making any statement about the quality of the service or food.  What I am saying is that both McDonald’s and almost all fine restaurants have established a set of standards that they constantly measure against.  Further, in many cases, they have built systems and processes that make these standards “routine”.  So much so that when you don’t get the normal experience, when they don’t perform up to their standards, it’s obvious.

Like McDonald’s we each have our own set of standards.  And our proverbial “gut” tells us very clearly if we are or are not performing up to these standards.  While our personal standards exist, they’re normally embedded in our sub-conscious and behaviors; and, accordingly, they are often easier for others to observe than us.  Think about it:  “He’s got a great work ethic”, “He’s lazy”, “You can count on her”, “He takes such nice care of his yard”.  We see others standards all the time.  However, rarely do we take the time to step back and reflect on what we have established as our personal standards.

With that in mind:

What are your standards?

As always, thanks for the time.