Unleashing Excellence: The Swiss Watch Way
We’ve all heard the expression that something or someone might “Run like a Swiss Watch.” When we hear that expression we imagine a flawless device, doing what it’s supposed to do and looking good doing it. According to Hermle North America, a watch company in Virginia, the heart of Swiss Watchmaking is found in the intricate attention to detail, innovation and a strong tradition of training their employees to execute their craft to a high standard of excellence. The Swiss Watch industry set a high-performance standard in the 17th century and has not let up – they just keep getting better.
In the dynamic landscape of today’s business world, achieving high-performance results is not just a goal; it’s a necessity. High performance is not solely about meeting expectations but exceeding them consistently. Organizations that foster a culture of excellence reap the benefits of increased productivity, innovation, and overall success.
“Unleashing excellence requires leaders who believe in the potential of their team, set high standards, and provide the support needed to achieve outstanding results.” ~ Simon Sinek
Attention to Detail: Organizations geared towards high-performance results exhibit a strong commitment to quality, collaboration, and continuous improvement in every aspect of their work. They embrace challenges as opportunities and approach tasks with an initiative-taking mindset. The pursuit of high performance goes beyond individual efforts; it’s about synergizing collective strengths to propel the entire organization forward. It does not happen by accident; it takes being intentional and attentive to every detail.
Innovation: Achieving excellence means expectations will evolve requiring leaders to innovate new ways of doing old processes. Leaders must become even more adaptable and resilient. Embracing change and leveraging diverse skills are integral to achieving sustainable high performance in the pursuit of excellence.
Training: Leaders play an essential role in cultivating this culture, encouraging autonomy, and recognizing achievements. Good leaders live and breathe excellence in all they do. They also develop their people to serve with excellence. In this era of constant transformation, organizations must nurture a culture that not only expects high performance but empowers every team member to contribute their best, ensuring enduring success and a competitive edge in the market. Status quo managers rarely develop others. They expect their people to know excellence, but rarely train, inspire, or develop it in their people.
“The job isn’t to catch up to the status quo; the job is to invent the status quo.” ~Seth Godin
In short, we must all “Run like a Swiss Watch.”
Thank you for your leadership,
Jeff
