Best Practice is a process or procedure that is accepted as being the correct or most effective way to do something. Whether it’s delivering a great client experience or washing dishes, there is a “best” way to do most everything.
Best practice is for everyone and it can be different for every situation. The structure will change as the number of people to do the work increases, because tasks can be delegated. If you are not using best practice in the workplace, you are probably wasting time and losing money.
To create a best practice, write down what happens in an ideal situation. From receiving the order to delivering the service, how long does it take, do you have a service standard that keeps business moving and money coming in the door. Or is it haphazard, where distractions and other business interfere, or take priority.
Then, place yourself in your client’s shoes. Look at what your expectations are when someone delivers a service to you. If you desire a quick service, then it’s reasonable to assume your clients also have the same expectation. Employers use processes and KPI’s to measure the use of practice standards, when you work for yourself it’s up to you to monitor delivery.
To succeed, you need passion and ability, motivation and direction. However, “the brightest and most skilled workers in the world will not be successful if they are not motivated to be successful” (Paul E. Levy)
So you have the passion, ability and direction, but are lacking the motivation to create or stick to best practice? Having a statement, an elevator pitch that reaffirms why you do what you do, can help. Mine is, “my motivation is that I love to help others, and I do that by providing high-quality work, delivered on time to obtain great outcomes for my clients”. This sharpens my focus, to follow up time-critical tasks and check what is being done.
It’s difficult to be successful if you’re fighting yourself. Call a truce and if you are struggling with motivation, to do the work that needs to be done, get some help. A few options are to employ a business coach, hire some extra hands or consider a role change to rekindle your mojo. Start today, get organised, delegate and make the changes that are right for you.