Standards
An article by Jim Connolly
How would you like to move your business or career up a level – up several levels or right to the very top? If this sounds interesting, then I know you are going to really benefit from the following information.

I was recently e-mailed with a question from one of my newsletter subscribers, which went something like this;

“Dear Jim, you run a small business, yet you work with some of the biggest organisations in the world. What’s your secret?”

In my reply, I explained that although there was no ‘magical’ secret to having a blue chip client list, there is one area where I believe I was able to differentiate myself and that this was key to any success that I have enjoyed thus far.  

The ‘secret’ of my success (and the success of every effective person or business I have ever studied) can be summed up in one word:

Standards!
The standards we set for ourselves are key to determining how we act. The way we act then determines our results and these results are what determine how successful we become. The link between our standards and our success is undeniable.

Our standards in business will ultimately help decide just how far we go. For example, as any successful consultant will confirm, you always focus on providing your clients with what they need and NOT simply what they want to hear. So, all top consultants and advisors have a standard they live by that means they do not give platitudes to their clients, just valuable advice and support.

Here’s why our standards are so important in business
I once spoke with the head of a London-based web design company. They were struggling to win new clients and she wondered if I could provide her with some ideas as to how to turn things around. When we met, she showed me a dozen or so superb looking websites that her team had developed. She explained that she would like to provide a wider portfolio of their past projects, to show people what they are capable of, but that every other site they had designed was ruined by the input of her clients!  She said that the majority of her clients asked for changes to the designs that her team had created and as a result, the finished site usually looked fragmented, off balance and pretty poor! “But you have to keep the client happy – right?” she said.

You certainly DO need to keep a client happy, however, providing them with a piece of work that you honestly believe is below par is not the way to do it. If you are right, if you know more about your area of specialization than your client does, (and you certainly should do) the marketplace will confirm it and ‘vote with their feet’. They will leave your client in no doubt as to what they think about the quality of your work. Your client is unlikely to trust you or use your services again.

In my own business, standards are what helped me succeed
I spoke last month with some trainers at an event in Birmingham (UK). They were moaning about how bad the past 12 months had been for them, because of changes to how their funding providers operate. They wondered how I was doing and were amazed when I told them! You see, the majority of trainers or seminar providers are really little more than outsourced trainers for development agencies. These trainers rely heavily or exclusively on development agency funding to make a living. However, to attract this funding, they have to provide what the development agencies want, as in the previous example, and not what they might believe is best for the marketplace or for the well-being of their own business!

Because of the standards I set for my business and myself, working with development agencies as a trainer was totally unacceptable, so I went into the marketplace alone.  Therefore, I have always enjoyed total freedom and independence to direct the path of my business and provide the very best service I can. As a result, I now have clients and readers all over the world and can adapt my service to suit their needs with complete freedom. However, everything originated from the standards I set for myself and my business.

Where are our standards taking us
My readership is comprised of both employers and employees. So, if you are an employee, what standards do you set for your behaviour when you are unsupervised?   Do you work just as diligently or do you drop down a gear or two? If you set a low standard for your conduct when you are unsupervised, you will pretty much guarantee that you always work in a position where someone supervises you. If you want to get your career on the fast track, set a standard for yourself that says you will work to the best of your ability whilst at work – regardless of what’s happening around you.

If you are an employer, what standards do you have for the way you run your business?   Do you tell your clients or customers what they want to hear or do you diplomatically ensure that they get the information or goods they need?

Clearly, our standards impact literally every area of our lives. How we dress, what we say, what we permit others to say in our presence – these are all a reflection of the standards we have set for ourselves. This reflection dictates how people interact with us. If people come to you regularly with gossip, it’s because they believe your standards permit gossiping. Equally, if people frequently recommend you or your services, it's because they believe your standards will ensure that do a great job.

Fortunately, our standards can be raised whenever we wish. We simply need to look at where our current standards are taking our career or our business. If we want a higher quality of life, we need to set higher standards and live by them.

To your success,

Jim Connolly
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