Perfectly Imperfect Strategy

Experiencing a solar eclipse not long ago was simply magnificent!

Living up to its hype, onlookers along its trajectory of totality were enthralled. While a solar eclipse is common for the moon, it’s a rare sight for humans.

Totality occurs when the sun is completely obscured by the moon. Its journey across the sun is preceded and followed by diamond bursts to the side, then a ring of light indicating the circumference of the moon. Darkness sits in the middle.

NASA followed the moon’s path of totality as it was viewed live from the US southwestern-most point of the arc to its northeastern edge. And everywhere, onlookers marveled.

Outside the path of totality – where I sat – the eclipse was equally marvelous. Usually quite welcome and pretty, fluffy white clouds on an otherwise sunny day conspired – and failed – to mar the experience.

A less than perfect eclipse.

Not every location along the eclipse's arc of totality had crystal clear skies for viewing. Not everyone saw the brilliance of the diamonds nor the full transition from light to dark.

Achieving less than 100% totality in some areas and battling clouds in others, the solar eclipse wasn’t perfect. Still, a less than perfect eclipse delighted viewers.

The eclipse delivered 100% of the expected value - everywhere.

Perfect is an elusive thing. Leaders strive for excellence. What could be more excellent than perfect? Yet, the quest for perfect consumes resources. Moreover, its achievement often adds limited or marginal additional value for customers.

At those times, perfect becomes more foe than friend, as I wrote here. The executives I advise know that perfect is the enemy of done. And the quest for perfect can get in the way of achieving objectives on time.

Yes: perfect is an elusive thing.

Leaders may find it easier to let go of perfectionist tendencies during periods of rapid growth. They simply can’t afford the time or staff power to pursue perfection every time. Alternatively, they cultivate the strengths of perfectionism to spur new thinking and approaches.

Conversely, when growth is stalled or simply too slow, perfectionism becomes more challenging. Often, customer retention is paramount. Leaders in this situation may hesitate to take decisions or move quickly. The risk of delivering an imperfect solution or product may feel more costly than the delay.

In this episode of Strategy in a Minute™, I offer two questions to strike the balance between excellence and done.

Perfect is a double-edged sword. Excellence sits on one side; hindrance on the other. Yet, like the eclipse, totality - perfect - isn’t the only way to delight customers. Rather than relentless pursuit of perfection, savvy executives guide their teams to be perfectly imperfect.

Strategic insights. 60 seconds. Lasting impact. This is Strategy in a Minute™ .