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Asians Never Say "No" -- Really?
It is TRUE Asians, especially the Far-Easterners, never say 'No'. Well... to most of us... But don't ever think of taking advantages on this 'opportunity', because it does not work that way. Because when Asians say 'Yes', it does not always...
Better Sex - The Natural Way
Premature ejaculation, reduced sexual performance ...??? You may be surprised to learn that nutrition and sex are closely linked - and it has nothing to do with chocolate! Science has linked reduced sexual performance and increases in...
Financial Services Marketing Insights: A Marketing Compass
What we now call “marketing” began long before the name was coined. In the mid-1800s, traveling salesmen dressed “snake oil" and other tonics in fancy packaging and extolled their virtues to a gullible public. New marketing applications soon...
Home Business Global Marketing Checklist
It amazes me how wide open the world is for work at home marketing opportunities thanks to the Internet. What we do at our computer affects people on the other side of the world just as easily as those living next door. However, how we affect those...
Knowledge is Power ... So, keep your mouth closed to keep it from getting away!
Did you ever wonder why it sometimes seems that communications is lacking within an organization or corporate culture? It is one of those frustrating situations that appear to put a halt to positive productivity. You meander around trying to gather...
One Foot In Each Camp
One Foot In Each Camp © 2002 Elena Fawkner You have a full-time job but secretly you yearn to break free of the corporate shackles and strike out on your own. You have a great idea for a business but you need the income from your job to pay...
Public Domain – The Philosophy Of Freedom
The philosophy behind the public domain is simple and very powerful. To elaborate we must first look at the traditional way in which Art and Intellectual property is governed. It is controlled by one thing, and that is money. People believe that to...
The Ten Pillars of Leadership and Business Development
Leadership is any influence relationship that brings about change…this can be a teacher/student relationship, a parent/child relationship, a politician/citizen relationship, a business owner/employee relationship, a community leader/volunteer...
Three times more sales of CD with the Belarusian music
For the last half-year, sales of CD with the national pop music in Belarus have grown almost three times. Among the best selling Belarusian musicians English-speaking group Atlantica, Tsyany-Tolkaj, J-mors and Alexey Hlestov. In opinion of Nikolay...
When in Rome, Do As…..Avoid Jail
A recent court ruling highlights just how blind arrogance and insensitivity to local culture can land you in jail. Business leaders are well advised to pay close attention to how things are done overseas – adopting the attitude that what works at...
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Why "Good Enough"... Isn't
About a year ago, I had an opportunity to have dinner with the CEO of an engineering startup company in Pennsylvania. As we discussed engineering design matters over Chinese food, he took a few moments to talk about his business philosophy. "As far as I'm concerned," he told me, "if a product is good enough, then it's perfect." He explained that in his view, product improvements should only be performed with the specific goal of increasing sales. "Anything else," he said, "provides no benefit to the company. It's just over-engineering."
In a way, I could see his point; after all, a company should avoid spending too much effort to develop features that nobody cares about. In most companies, time and manpower are precious commodities that must be invested wisely. Nevertheless, his statement left a rather sour taste in my mouth, and here's why.
First, his choice of words suggests that the customer's needs are relatively unimportant, and that profit-making is the only thing that matters. To my mind, this is a false dichotomy. It's true that a company has to guard its bottom line, and that its resources are limited. It's true that it must avoid making extravagant promises to its customers. At the same time though, a company that adopts a lukewarm attitude toward pleasing its customers is unlikely to engender a great deal of client loyalty. A successful company is one that understands the importance of customer delight.
Second, this perspective treats "good enough" as though it were some clearly identifiable goal-a distinct line of demarcation, separating the unsatisfactory from the unnecessary. In reality, this
boundary can be quite fuzzy. Often, customers don't know what they would consider to be satisfactory-not until they have gained more experience with the product. This means that a company is forced to guess at what constitutes "good enough"-and if they underestimate those requirements, they may have a lot of unsatisfied customers on their hands. That's why it's important for a customer to set its sights a little higher.
Third, and most importantly, one can expect this perspective to promote a corporate culture of mediocrity rather than an attitude of excellence. If employees are told that they should only strive for what's "good enough," then that's precisely what they'll deliver-not just to the customer, but to the employer as well! A mediocre attitude will result in mediocre products, which ultimately benefits nobody.
That is why I maintain that "good enough" just isn't good enough. People need to take pride in their work, and companies need to strive for excellence. Companies do have limited resources, to be sure. Still, that should not stop them from seeking to delight their customers, or from producing work that they can brag about. To put it another way, a company may not be able to deliver the moon, but it should always reach for the stars.
About the Author
V. Berba Velasco Jr., Ph.D. takes great pride in working at Cellular Technology Ltd Europe, China) where he serves as a senior electrical and software engineer. He is pleased to work in an environment where excellence is valued.
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