Average is over – excellence is the next 5 minutes

For some strange reason the mindset of ”good enough” has been widely accepted. But, in my opinion, this is a fundamentally wrong way of thinking and it will affect our professional reputation. Instead we should have the ambition to be the best. We can´t measure it, we never know when we are there, but it’s hell of an ambition to have. When you combine your talents, with your passion and ambition magic happens.

And as a customer, do you really choose a company and person who is just ”good enough”?  I want the best. But the key question is – do you put the same demands on ourselves in our profession, or do you, your colleagues and your company settle for ”good enough”? In that case you will have to compete in the traditional way with the price, ads and all those expensive methods. And your professional reputation as an individual will be affected.

To be remarkable is about being unique and someone that get noticed and listened to. I admit it, I want to be remarkable, I want my professional reputation as an individual, author and entrepreneur to stick out and be noticed. That is also why I with all my heart try to live by a sentence that Tom Peters wrote a couple of years ago: ”Excellence is not an aspiration – it´s the next five minutes”.

90 percent of the decisions about you will be made when you are not present

Please consider this: 90 percent of the decisions made about you are done when you are not present. The ”only” thing that is present is your professional reputation.

This is the moments when your customers are discussing if they will give you that great assignment or your employer is considering new opportunities for you in the company or a higher salary. It’s the moments when you considered for a new job – all those vital moments in your career or in your business. It’s all about what they say about you when you’re not in the room. And of course what you want them to say.

The big question here is: Do you want to take your chances or take control. Becuase you will either be judged or ignored. You will not reach anything memorable if it´s not valued by others. It´s others that hire you, market you, spread your message and applaud you.