There are certain lectures that I end up delivering to many who cross my path, probably to their chagrin. One particular recurring theme I regularly pass on to new members of my organization is to let go of perfectionism. And this is something that I periodically need to remind myself about. I fight against perfectionism – in my teams and in myself. This is not to say that I don’t seek out better. I tell team members frequently: “Strive to be a little better in something each day. It can be a different something every day, but find that one thing that you will tell yourself you’ll do better at today than yesterday.”
I wasn’t always in this mindset. The word “perfect” did not always create a knee-jerk reaction in me. In fact, I was also a perfectionist – and in some things I am still a recovering perfectionist! I would continue to pick at something that didn’t seem “good enough” in the pursuit to bring it near perfection. I would lose hours in improving spreadsheets, finding the right words in an email or a presentation, or tear myself apart because things were not how I wanted them to be. Like many things, my current view of “perfect” is something that developed over time. Originally, it was watching the pursuit of perfection cause undue stress and undermine the progress that my team had made. This caused me to reflect on the word and the wholesale application people use to describe themselves and the tasks they set out to perform.
Starting with the definition.
Perfect: being entirely without fault or defect – Merriam-Webster
No faults? No defects or weaknesses? Nothing to be improved? Nonsense if you ask me. Let’s start with perspective. I can perceive something to be perfect, but another may see faults. Is that thing still perfect? Whose opinion drives the decision to try to improve that thing or find a better one? But I look at this word when people apply it to themselves. If you are “perfect,” you have no more room to grow because there are no faults or weaknesses. One could argue that you are perfect because of, or despite, your faults. However, this leads to another avenue of philosophical discussion beyond today’s article. Either way, having no more room to grow sounds like a dreadfully boring place to be.
Which is why I go back to my lectures and my statements to the team to find those small areas of improvement. I don’t want people to be at the end of their journey. I don’t want them to just say there is nothing left to learn, or nothing left to improve. Most frequently though, the issue is not with people who are convinced they are perfect. It is with those who beat themselves up because they are not. “I should have…” – “I could have…” – “if only…” While every person I have come across in my own life has succumbed to these thoughts (myself included), when you tell yourself that you are a perfectionist, you are mentally setting yourself up to look for those places that fall short of perfection.
Letting Go of Perfect
Letting go of perfect is not an overnight change. For all that I could yell from the rooftops my feelings on this word (not literally of course), I admit that I succumb myself. So I still have to work to let go. But this is where leaders can step in to counter the perfectionists in our organizations. You have heard it called “the 50,000-foot view”, “the forest for the trees”, and other similar sayings. Having the perspective of being one-step removed from the rush of problems allows us to take these broader views. The perfectionist focuses on the problems that are preventing the step toward flawless. Being a step removed allows us to say “Yes, but look at the progress you have made.” or “I understand, but this is really good work as it is.” As a leader, you can help your team take personal emotional attachment out of the equation (hopefully anyway) and help to evaluate what is truly an impediment versus an inconvenience or simply an area of refinement.
The Power of Good Enough
“Perfect is the enemy of good”
Voltaire
There comes a point when you have to say something is good enough and move on. Pursuit of perfection creates diminishing returns. Once you are past a certain point of completion, how much of the remaining work simply becomes refinement and polishing? You must determine, or help your teams determine, how much of the continued effort could be better spent on other things. How much of your mental state are you devoting to worry over making something better, when it is good enough for what you need to accomplish? I been known to kick staff members out of the office and home for the night when their drive for “better” was compromising their mental state. There is such a thing as “over preparation” – that point of diminishing return where you have poured so much of yourself into something that the extra hour you devote leads to exhaustion instead of improvement.
As leaders, learn to let go. And help your staff learn to move away from the pursuit of perfection. Strive for being better and look for the continuous improvement. But don’t let yourself or your team fall into the trap of viewing perfect as the only acceptable outcome.
