I see this word a lot in threads such as in Competition: A good or bad thing? (http://Elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=6354)

How do you define excellence?

Excellence may be defined IMO as; Natural Motivation
Wallace.

Excellence may be defined IMO as; Natural Motivation
Wallace.
More details please!

The following is a portion of a paper on achieving excellence. I hope it gets this thread going.
Wallace.


Every now and then you encounter someone who demonstrates excellence on the job. It might be an exceptional waitress who anticipates your every need. Or a manager who generates both high performance and loyalty on his teams. It could be a teacher with a knack for unlocking the desire to learn in each student. Excellence, true excellence, is something we prize but seldom see. It's a joy to encounter someone who is truly excellent at what they do. Why is that so rare? More importantly, how can you become known as a man or woman who consistently demonstrates excellence?

One comment that is heard time and again about those who demonstrate excellence is, "He/she is a natural at it." They don't seem to struggle to be excellent; it just flows. That is always a sign of motivation, and therein lies the first key: Motivation is required for excellence.

Motivation is what we like to do naturally. It's like being right or left-handed. We don't even think about it. We just write. The same is true for people known for excellence. They have a group of motivations that work in concert to help them perform at a higher level. Like all motivations, these were inborn and are as much a part of them as being blue-eyed or tall.

But there is a second key: Motivation can be developed. People who demonstrate excellence have identified their motivations and worked hard to develop them. They have added knowledge, skill, experience and practice to consistently produce at the highest levels.

By the way, there is a flip side to these two keys, and it is this: The best we can be with low motivation is adequate. No matter how hard we work and desire it, in the long run we will never be excellent at something without high levels of motivation in that area. In other words, if we toil in areas where we have low motivation, we resign ourselves to mediocrity.

Who wants to be mediocre? Who wants to be known as "adequate?" Wouldn't you rather have a shot at excellence? The first step to unlocking your excellence is to know what you do well naturally. What are your motivations?

I agree that motivation is a major portion. However, without talent or skills, you may only achieve excellent comparable to your ability.

Excellence is a subjective measurment. A cold hamburger would be excellent to a starving person, whereas some people don't like leftovers. To run a 15 minute mile with only 1 leg would be excellent, but would hardly qualify for the olympics.

To achieve excellence you must have motivation, but to be considered excellent you must know what standard you are being graded against. Looking at the root of excellence, which is excel, we get the definition "to be better than", so you have to fill in the what - to be better than what?

Motivation is (As said in the paper) the "first" key.
There are more keys implied that make up the character of a person or group who display excellence.
Being measured against a standard? Well, try telling that to an eastern 3rd world person. It's very typical for the westerner to measure their capabilities against a standard, survival is excellence.
It's certainly not rocket science and we don't need to psychologize this area. People who are highly internaly motivated are the folk who display excellence, at one point or another.
Wallace.

Excellence, like "quality", is hard to define due to its (as stated previously) subjective nature.

Nevertheless, I would define it as superiority to any alternative, where no fault can be found, and it results in pleasant surprise. It is one of those products or services that elicits the "tell all of my friends about the great experience I had" response.

As usual, Webster does a good job:

The state of being : 1: SUPERIOR 2: very good of its kind :
eminently good : FIRST-CLASS

Do we need more? (Serious question).

Like Rob says quality and excellence are both hard to define.
Like quality, excellence is not just the end result. It is process of acheiving it. Yes, you do need motivation to acheive excellence but motivation alone will not acheive excellence.

Excellence is a jigsaw made up of many pieces. If we talk about a high performance car as being excellent, then excellence went into the process of creating that car. A designer with expert knowledge and excellent tools to design the car. High specification materials made to the highest standard. Highly trained engineers who have achieved excellence. Excellent test programmes designed especially to push the car to tis limits etc. Excellence cannot just be the end result but the entire journey of achieving it and you can achieve it with the right processes and materials.

Does anyone else feel it is more of a process?

Cathy

Cathy,
You're on the right track when you say that:

Excellence cannot just be the end result but the entire journey of achieving it and you can achieve it with the right processes and materials.

I firmly believe that excellence is created, managed, expressed and shared by systems thinking (Processes).
Excellence has a foundation that contains many materials (Factors) and, it has been my personal experience that, the vehicle that transports us throughout the creative levels of excellence is "profound knowledge". :D
Wallace.

I think we are excellent. I see others that think they are. How do you really know you really are? Isn't Excellence what others think of you? Until the general concensus is that you are excellent, no matter what the definition(s) of excellence (are) is, you are not. No? I know it's a simplistic view, but I gave it a shot. :agree:

I see Motivation as a catalyst. For instance, I’m really motivated to become a major league ballplayer, but if I lack the skills and knowledge necessary, all the motivation I have will not be enough to achieve Excellence.

-Excellence can be achieved without motivation.
-Motivation (negative) can lead to the opposite of excellence (positive).
-Excellence is used to decribe people, place, things and processes. It describes a state of being.

Back to the group...

IMO excellence is a combination of knowledge, skill and motivation. You must have all three to achieve true excellence. Possessing the knowledge and/or skill but lacking the motivation to use it does not achieve excellence and being motivated without possessing the needed knowledge and/or skill does not achieve excellence.

mshell,

You see Motivation as an ingredient to Excellence. Can you expand on this?

Regards,

Kevin

Some people must be motivated to achieve excellence as it does not come naturally. Just as you said without knowledge and skill you can not achieve excellence. Without the motivation to utilize the knowledge and skill excellence can not be achieved. What good is knowledge or skill if it is not applied? How do you apply it if you are not motivated? Something motivates all of us to perform (function) everyday.

I don't know how many are NFL fans but here is my take.
Randy Moss is considered an 'excellent' receiver, however, he is not always motivated. Just because he doesn't apply his skills to full potential (not motivated) everyday, does that change him from being excellent? I don't think so. Then what about the people that don't have the skills or talent but apply themselves 100%?

I don't know how many are NFL fans but here is my take.
Randy Moss is considered an 'excellent' receiver, however, he is not always motivated. Just because he doesn't apply his skills to full potential (not motivated) everyday, does that change him from being excellent? I don't think so. Then what about the people that don't have the skills or talent but apply themselves 100%?

Work smart, not hard.

If he used his skills to their fullest potential, his team might do a lot better. Not only would he be a "better" player, he might inspire his teammates to test their limits, too.

I used to study like crazy in school. I never left my room except for class, food, and Star Trek. But come test time, I'd panic. Then I learned to study smart. Study/Learn what I didn't know. No point in rehashing what I already had down pat. Amazing how my test taking skills improved.

Excellence includes not only using your current skill set, but improving upon it. It includes effective and efficient use of resources. You don't do for the sake of doing...you do to attain and improve.

Can I get off the merry-go-round now? I'm getting dizzy! :ko:

Excellence is with and without motivation, may or may not require skill or knowledge, which is more important... :bonk:

This is an "excellent" subject, but where is it going?

EXCELLENCE = The achievement of meeting and exceeding objectives thru performance.

I think we are excellent. I see others that think they are. How do you really know you really are? Isn't Excellence what others think of you? Until the general concensus is that you are excellent, no matter what the definition(s) of excellence (are) is, you are not. No? I know it's a simplistic view, but I gave it a shot. :agree:

I'll jump in real quicklike.

I have tended bar for over 30 years (part time the last 20). I have been called an "excellent" bartender by most of the customers I have served, and called from "good" to exactly the opposite (what would that be :confused: ) by the rest. My technique and mannerisms have been and remain pretty consistant (IMO) over the years. Why the disparity in ratings?

I submit all PPAPs for my company for replacement tooling. One customer thinks I have excellent submissions. Another customer thinks my submissions stink.

Stew brought up Randy Moss. Is he an excellent receiver in my eyes. NO!! Work ethic plays too high a role in my standard of excellence for a professional athlete. There are a lot of other factors that weigh in also.

I guess I'm trying to agree with Energy - excellence is in the "eye of the rater".

Enough for now - I need to get home and enjoy this warm up (weather) :bigwave:

Bill

Depending upon our own individual personalities, lifestyles, careers and personal life, excellence can have many definitions. My path to excellence in all aspects of life has involved knowledge, skills, learning ability and motivation to succeed. I am sure that the definition is unique for all of us as we are all individuals. We will probably never find a definition that everyone agrees on.

Perhaps the best definition is performing to the best of your individual ability.

Even if it is not as good as someone else it is still excellent as long as you did your best. (At least that is what I teach my children)

As for Randy Moss I say the $$$$$$$$$$ was a motivator!! :biglaugh:

Who or what determines excellence?

Like Randy said
Even if it is not as good as someone else it is still excellent as long as you did your best

I also agree that everyone will have their own opinon on excellence. Emotion plays a signifcant part in this determination. but when emotion is removed and hard facts are in front of you, can you determine excellence in isolation?

I believe that excellence is only achieved when there is nothing else better. It is dymanic and may not be excellent in a few years. Like surgery the techniques used 40 years ago may have been described as excellent then but now they are seen as backward.....I think a useful phrase here would be 'best in class' When you acheived the best you can in a particular area and it can you used as a goal for other areas or businesses.

But in my opinion (is that what IMO stands for??) we will never find a true meaning for excellence nor will we ever truly achieve excellence as continual improvement pushes us to achieve new highs!

Isn't Excellence what others think of you? Until the general concensus is that you are excellent, no matter what the definition(s) of excellence (are) is, you are not. No? I know it's a simplistic view, but I gave it a shot. :agree:

What about the great scientists, for example, who were considered kooks, nuts, blasphemers, etc. in the past when they put forth their theories (i.e. the earth is round or the earth is not the center of the universe, etc.) which turned out to be right? At that time when they proposed their ideas they were, IMO, excellent -- well ahead of their time, the best there was -- excellent. But almost no one else thought so.

Same goes for the great quality management theorists.........

I don't know how many are NFL fans but here is my take.
Randy Moss is considered an 'excellent' receiver, however, he is not always motivated. Just because he doesn't apply his skills to full potential (not motivated) everyday, does that change him from being excellent? I don't think so. Then what about the people that don't have the skills or talent but apply themselves 100%?

Randy,

I think you present a good example. Skills - excellent, theory of receiving - excellent, motivation - sometimes there, sometimes not. Randy Moss is an excellent receiver nonetheless.

I think the group here has done an excellent job (no pun intended) in contributing to this thread. Why do you think that is?? Is anyone getting paid? ( If so, let me know your trick!! ;) )

Back to the group...

Kevin

Anyone with anything to add?

I start the weekend in 30 minutes. THAT is excellent! :biglaugh:

As usual, Webster does a good job:

The state of being : 1: SUPERIOR 2: very good of its kind :
eminently good : FIRST-CLASS

Do we need more? (Serious question).

Dear Covers:

The Webster's New Dictionary of synonyms discusses the meaning of excellence in detail. This is reproduced verbatim below. Examples of the use of the term and its synonyms are given within the < > symbols. Mine is an old copy that I got when I was in college.

Excellence, merit, virtue, perfection, says the dictionary, are comparable when meaning a quality or a feature of a person or thing that gives him or it especial worth or value.

Excellence applies to a quality or feature in which the person or thing excels or surpasses others; since the term carries no implications of absence of fault, defect, or blemish, it is often qualified (as by particular, specific, or distinctive) <the particular excellence of this cake is its lightness> < the great excellence of the eastern tableland was ... in pasture and in forest - Stanley> < spoke of the rude health of their children as it were a result of moral excellence - Conrad>

Merit (see also Due) may be used interchangably with excellence, but it typically carries no suggestion of a surpassing quality; rather, it applies to a quality or feature that has evident worth or value or is highly commendable. It is used especially in critical estimates in which good points (merits) are displayed against bad points (defects or faults) <Mr. Wright's version of Iliad, repeating in the main the merits and defects of Cowper's version - Arnold> <the faculty of discerning and using conspicuous merit in other people distinguishes the most successful administrators, rulers, and men of business - Eliot>

Virtue, because of the long association of the term with moral goodness (for this sense see GOODNESS) is chiefly applied to a moral excellence or conspicuous merit of character <one is inclined to ask whether, when the right path is so easy t them, they really have any virtues – Ellis> <reverence for age and authority, even for law, has disappeared; and in the train of these have gone the virtues they engendered and nurtured – Dickinson> But the term may also apply to the quality or feature that is the source of a person’s or thing’s peculiar or distinctive strength, power, or efficacy <the special virtue of a newly discovered remedy for pneumonia> <that unsparing impartiality which is his most distinguishing virtue – Macaulay>

Perfection suggests an attainment of the ideal and is usually found in less restrained writing or speech than the other terms when it applies to n excellence in the highest degree <but eyes, and ears, and ev’ry thought, were with his sweet perfections caught – Spenser> <what tongue can her perfections tell? – Sidney> <Fitzgerald’s perfection of style and form, as in The Great Gatsby, has a way of making something that lies between your stomach and your heart quiver a little – Thurber>


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Now, the following is from an earlier post by WALLACE

By the way, there is a flip side to these two keys, and it is this: The best we can be with low motivation is adequate. No matter how hard we work and desire it, in the long run we will never be excellent at something without high levels of motivation in that area. In other words, if we toil in areas where we have low motivation, we resign ourselves to mediocrity.

Who wants to be mediocre? Who wants to be known as "adequate?" Wouldn't you rather have a shot at excellence? The first step to unlocking your excellence is to know what you do well naturally. What are your motivations?

This gives us a different starting point to discuss excellence. Wallace is contrasting excellence with the state of mediocrity, or the state of just being "average". This, I think, gives the opportunity, to define Excellence in mathematical terms. After all, we all agree that the idea of "average" can be quantified mathematically. Why not the idea of Excellence?

What is the mathematical definition of Excellence? This is still being composed. I hope to discuss this shortly, perhaps, in my next post.

Thanks Marc. This, BTW, was an EXCELLENT thread to reopen. Now, do you think I have used the term correctly?

Charmed :) :thanx: