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As South Africans, we rarely think about operating on a world-class
level. Lately, we've spent a great deal of time simply focusing on issues
of corruption. Our mindsets need to change!
Being world-class - becoming known as a leader in your field - is less
about your geography, than it is about your mindset. And you don’t
have to be a large corporation before you can start thinking like a
world-class one.
YOU CAN BE WORLD-CLASS
I’ve presented my session, ‘The 8 Imperatives of Being World
Class’ for many South African companies. Here are 4 cornerstone
ideas from the presentation, which you can use in your own efforts to
move to the next level:
OUT-PREPARE THE COMPETITION
I once met a man from Texas, who had won the World Championships for
Public Speaking. When I asked how he did it, he explained that his philosophy
was simply: Out-prepare your competition.
"You can’t determine the level of skill of your competitors,"
he said, "But you can certainly be more prepared than they are."
This applies in any field. How many bids have you lost because your
company didn’t do its research? How many sales pitches were blown
because you didn’t know what the client wanted? How often has your
competition soared past you for no reason other than that you weren’t
as prepared as they were?
Make a commitment today to end that status-quo. From now on, do your
homework, and do it better than your competition. This is your first
step in gaining the edge, and in becoming world-class.
YOUR EFFORTS MUST BE ‘OUT OF THE BALLPARK’
The same World Champion shared a second idea with me. "I remember
playing baseball in our old ballpark down by the river," he said.
"The best home-runs were always the ones that didn’t just
make it to the boundaries, but actually flew right out of the ballpark
and over the river outside. There was no dispute over whether they counted
or not. The kids who hit them were undeniably the best."
He explained, "I quickly realised that to be truly world-class
as a speaker, it wouldn’t be enough to hit a home-run. My efforts
had to be right out of the ballpark. I had to be undeniably the best!"
Could this philosophy make a difference to your service levels, to
your management skills, or to your products? Move from mediocre to world-class.
Give up the ‘good enough’ philosophy, and make it ‘out
of the ballpark.’
IT DOESN’T HURT TO BE A LITTLE SEXY
How does the word ‘sexy’ fit into your workplace reality?
Does it seem an unlikely intruder when discussing the notion of being
‘world-class’?
Maybe so, but consider this: Do you remember that one guy from sales
who was always so cocky and confident? Or the lady who was often in
trouble for bending the rules but bringing in the sales? They always
got the big assignments, the fun ones, the sexy ones. Do you remember
your frustration when they were promoted ahead of you?
And do you remember your boss’s frustration when the marketing
department – the sexy one! – got more of a budget than his
accounts department?
Finally, have you ever noticed how people who know how to dress, how
to walk, how to talk, seem to get taken more seriously? And not just
people, it even applies to products on a shelf. Two identical products
are sold at vastly different prices simply because of packaging.
It’s no coincidence. A degree of PR can do wonders for your image,
your business and your own career. And the first step is to be aware
of the image that you, and your product, are portraying. Does your image
say ‘world-class?’ Or does it need a tweak?
YOUR HEART MUST BE IN IT
Quite simply, if you don’t love an industry, you can’t own
it. Ownership and leadership fall to those who care, who get involved,
who learn everything there is to know about their profession, and who
are dedicated enough to meet the other key-players and stake-holders.
You can intellectualise your way to being exceptionally good. But being
truly world-class will always be a work of heart…!
- Douglas Kruger
3 x Southern African Public Speaking
SAfm Presenter
Editor: Smart Management Strategies
Cell: 072 252-2675
Email: kruger@compute.co.za
Website: www.douglaskruger.co.za
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Newsletter:
3 February 2012 to 10 February 2012 - Krugersdorp, Gauteng, South Africa
