The Problem with Being Perfect

You know you have the answers, you are certain you are right. You are smarter than everyone in your company. You've got the vision, you know what's going on. Everyone in you company or team tells you so. It's great to be the boss, the kingpin and on top of your game. Right?

Wrong?

In perfection, there often lies a problem that's clear to everyone. Everyone but you that is. In perfection, there often lies a problem that's clear to everyone. Everyone but you that is.

There is no inherent problem with being smart, determined, sure of yourself, or a visionary. But too often, this is a façade hiding a hubris that has sunk companies and teams, driven off the best people, held back the success that could have been.

Astoundingly, even in the face of clear persistent failure, these "leaders" are sure they are dong it right and have been all along. And keep on doing what they've always done with predictable results.

The impetus for this article was a reality show called "Bar Rescues," see it on Spike TV. In that show, the host, Jon Taffer, turns around failing bars. It's sort of Gordon Ramsey's "Kitchen Nightmares" without the bleeps. As a professional business coach, it stopped me like a moth spotting a million watt light bulb.

Jon is an authority and an internationally recognized, award-winning restaurant operator, owner and concept developer. He's a respected industry "voice" with nearly 30 years of hands-on experience and consultant to major hotel chains. Keep that in mind...

In this show, we are on the outside looking in, hearing and seeing what the staff in the bar sees every day, watching a pathetic trickle of customers straggle in, hearing their comments; it's obvious to us and everyone else the problems are legion.

To everyone that is except the owner or owners.

They are sure they are doing things perfectly and do to change, repeating what never worked again and again like a hamster on a wheel, going nowhere. They are anything but doing almost everything wrong; holding on to old concepts, ideas, feeding their egos and engaging in unbelievable behavior.

For example, one of the two owners of this bar gave away free drinks to his friends (he had a lot) and made up for it by trying to pick up every single female who came in!one of the two owners of this bar gave away free drinks to his friends (he had a lot) and made up for it by trying to pick up every single female who came in!
Worse, when confronted by Jon, these destructive, non-productive behaviors and ideas were defended and rationalized; this same partner took no responsibility for anything. But he was the on site manager/owner!

The situation and behaviors are what makes this show so intriguing to a business coach. It's behaviors 9 out of ten owners exhibit to varying degrees, yes even you; behaviors and beliefs that are holding them back and extreme cases torpedoing their business and success.

Even though the show participants have a respected big ticket consultant who is well know in the trade and a speaker to packed rooms, the owners argue, question his assessment of the problems, deny his observations, refuse his adviceowners argue, question his assessment of the problems, deny his observations, refuse his advice
… it's amazing.

Did they do it because they have come to believe they are 110% perfect or simply never really had the right model for success?

Watch either of these shows and ask yourself, "Am I that oblivious to the obvious?" You may be surprised what you discover if you have an unbiased knowledgeable outsider take a look.

Now back to Bar Rescues. The episode I watched featured two bar owners in a failing, badly dated "theme bar" whose theme went out about 10 years ago. Dingy, out of date, terrible food, dirty, a bar with little product… this place was a disaster. The few customers who came in left pronto, the females who were single and dropped in? The first person to hit on them was one of the owners. This business was a disaster.

Neither owner recognized it much less believed they needed to change initially...

The format of the show is geared so the owners more or less are forced to do what Jon says. In your heart you know that without that agreement, these owners would never have changed.

None the less, in the show Jon changes everything including the name, which went from a 1980's era fad, to a new format that isn't trendy, complete with a new modern name and decor that drew standing room only crowds. The contrast in atmosphere and success was dramatic; money poured in.The contrast in atmosphere and success was dramatic; money poured in.

Were the owners now set up for success? You coaches already know where this is going… within 4 months, they had reverted to the old name and they "had no comment" when asked about revenue. That tells you all you need to know. Jon had changed the décor but not the people or their belief that they were right and the experts all wrong. So, they apparently reverted to the old behaviors.Jon had changed the décor but not the people or their belief that they were right and the experts all wrong. So, they apparently reverted to the old behaviors.

Professional business coaches are not surprised by this outcome, they experience it daily. They know change takes time and until you, the owner sees the problems and accepts them as problems, comes to the realization that they need to change, and is part of coming up with the solution, there will be no change.

Change is the most difficult thing to effect in any organization because change is resisted. People stick with the familiar. What they are used to and feel secure with old and even bad habits. Change is frightening. Change is the most difficult thing to effect in any organization because change is resisted. People stick with the familiar. What they are used to and feel secure with old and even bad habits. Change is frightening.
Changing people's perspective to acknowledge the problems then seeing change and being a part of that as an opportunity that will benefit them is essential to successfully making changes stick. It takes time, experience and skill. You can't do it on your own. It takes a professional to help facilitate and expedite the process. (FocalPoint business coaches specialize in helping companies effect change.)

A good example is the difference in results between reading a book on exercise and actually hiring a personal trainer and going to the gym three or four times a week. Behavior is changed because you have help and professionals who help you change your beliefs, hold you accountable to a third party and help you through the rough spots when you make fundamental behavioral changes.

Take Action

Now that you know what you know about the myopia that can blind owners to even the most obvious, what will you do? Are you one of the owners who is confident enough to believe they might not have all the answers?Are you one of the owners who is confident enough to believe they might not have all the answers?

If you answered "yes," you are one of the fortunate few who is about to discover any company benefits from an outside pair of eyes and different perspectives. Results with thousands of firms prove the benefits are tangible and pay off many times over the investment. Ask anyone who has retained a business coach for a period of time.

Your company may never be featured on a reality show like "Bar Rescues" or "Kitchen Disasters" but it will be transformed by the experience and improve. I don't care who you are or how big you are or how many or few employees you have.

If you think your company would benefit from an informed and professional outside perspective, contact me or another of the FocalPoint team… You'll be glad you did.