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The title “Be the Best” seems a little underwhelming when you really consider its true meaning.  This series has focused on the processes that a company striving to reach the top must have.  These processes are important, and we’ve talked about the different steps needed to make a process into an active improvement plan. 

Process Implementation Steps:

1. Recognize the Process
2. Formalize the Process
3. Simplify the Process
4. Repeat the Process
5. Flawless implementation
6. Measurable results
7. Continuous improvement

The steps don’t have to be complex, in fact the simpler the better, making it easier to implement over and over and over.  The repetition and constant practice require a singular focus and dedication to hard work-- the price of admittance to the exclusive category of “peerless competitor.” Reaching this level is never an accident or simply the result of lucky breaks. They result from flawless execution of your businesses processes. 

Pumping additional money into an organization will not ensure success.  Money is important as a lubricant and a measure of success, but it will not buy the top spot in your market.  In earlier installments, we talked about one of the secrets to the success of John D. Rockefeller and Standard of Ohio.  They became a peerless competitor in the oil industry by focusing on cost and product delivery, analyzing carefully the steps involved in each process.  Competing at the top requires fanatical attention to the “continuous improvement” to these processes, which happened at Standard Oil.  Money can’t buy these results, but this process will produce money.

Participating in any athletic endeavor is a great analogy to a business, and athletes that compete at the top level of any sport may have natural ability.  What separates them from the pack is their strategic thinking and working on their sport until the basics become second nature.  They also strive to improve their skills, looking for a better faster, easier way to compete, i.e.,”continuous improvement.” 

When you are at the top, a target is placed on you, and your competitors will be aiming to knock you off.  Staying on top of your game means not only consistently delivering superior product service and support but developing a keen focus on how you can improve what most would consider a faultless system, as well.  Don’t become complacent.

A decision to compete at the top of your market, or to become a “peerless competitor,” is the first step down a long, hard road with an emphasis on hard.  It is not a journey for the faint of heart, and not everyone is successful. But it is a journey worth taking.  The rewards are worth the effort.  If you are considering this journey, give me a call or send me an email. I would like to be involved in an adventure that could change the world.

Let me know if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions.
Write David W. Weatherholt at david@bnewsviews.com

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