A Personal Lesson in Excellence
The Coffee Experience
I will always remember the day I had my first lesson in excellence. I went to my favorite coffee shop and was greeted very politely by a young guy working behind the counter. Handing him my large size tumbler I ordered a large coffee, as I always did, and started to count my change out as he disappeared at the end of the counter with my tumbler. As I waited, nearly two minutes had passed; I was growing impatient because I expected everything right away and, not being a very patient person when it came to coffee, I was feeling my anxiety grow as I noticed the other register next to me had already served three other people…and I was still waiting!
As three minutes had now passed and the next person stepped up to the opposite register to order, I started to pace back and forth, dancing from one foot to the next in the hopes someone would see how angry I was getting here. I was paying nearly $4.00 for this coffee and I wanted it now! I decided it was time to act. I leaned over the counter to peer around the large glass case that was blocking my view with every intention of giving this guy a real piece of my impatient mind…and that was when I saw it. I had just opened my mouth to tell him to “Hurry up!” when suddenly there it was, my precious coffee tumbler of nearly three years, held under a tap of running hot water with one hand and in the other hand the coffee guy was scrubbing the insides of it with a metal scrub brush, removing the caked on coffee grime that had gathered there over the years.
I was suddenly filled with an admiration for what was happening and, as I watched he then filled up my mug with steaming fresh coffee and brought it back to me, placing it on the counter with two hands. He was still smiling as he wiped sweat from his brow probably because he had to scrub about an inch of grime off the inside of my cup that had accumulated there over the past three years. And if that was not enough, he then apologized for making me wait so long. I realized as I walked away with my cup that not only was I a satisfied customer but that my expectations had been exceeded. I will say that again: My expectations had been EXCEEDED.
It was then it occurred to me what true excellence really is. This young guy, although he was probably being paid the same wages as everyone else at the coffee shop, was doing his job with one exception…he was doing his work with excellence! I continued to return to that coffee shop again and again and although it wasn’t always necessary to give my cup a good scrubbing, I was always greeted with a smile and served in an efficient and friendly manner, which I later gathered was probably why this place was so popular.
Customers were treated with an appreciation and gratitude that kept them returning. This place not only served great coffee and the staff had friendly attitudes but, they were in the habit of serving excellence as well; and even although it wasn’t something advertised on the menu, everyone wanted a piece of it. I was convinced that excellence sells, it attracts people, and it sets the standard practice for everything that operates in that field of service. Excellence does make the difference!
“Just make up your mind at the very outset that your work is going to stand for quality… that you are going to stamp a superior quality upon everything that goes out of your hands, that whatever you do shall bear the hall-mark of excellence.”
— Orison Swett Marden
Maintaining a Consistency of Purpose
You can deliver the same level of excellence that is dished out everyday by people working in companies, shops and online businesses by exceeding expectations. I have discovered that most people really want to do their best; they want to make a difference in their work and level of service. It is extremely important that our best work, and the quality of our work, be recognized and appreciated in order that we may continue to deliver a level of quality that is superior to anything else. Excellence isn’t what happens when you finally reach your destiny; excellence is the road you travel to reach it. It is a commitment to never-ending personal development.
“You can’t always expect the best from everyone, but you can expect it from yourself.”
It really makes no difference if you are a world famous talk show host or a struggling musician or writer – you give the same level of dedication and persistence in all of your pursuits. Excellence is not the end result of all your efforts; it is the beginning of your best efforts in order to reach higher plateaus of creativity and learning.
The people who maintain a consistency of purpose and follow a set of adhering principals, who do not allow ego, resentment, or ambivalence to interfere with their quest for greatness, are the ones that will reap the grandest rewards available to those that perform the tasks they love to do and do with superior craftsmanship. It is measured by the core principles of a life defined by purposeful action and a commitment to doing your best. Remember this: Your commitment to doing the best job possible is measured in everything you do, even the work that you don’t like. It is through learning to do the work that we don’t want to do that we discover the work that really matters.
Take Away Action Steps:
How can you work excellence into your daily life? Make a list of things that you can perform in an excellent fashion.
How would you rate the current quality of your lifestyle? Would you consider your lifestyle to be of low, medium or a high quality? If your quality of life is low, how will you increase your personal value to attain higher levels of quality?
What are your current standards for living? What are the new levels of standards that you will create and stick to? Write these down in your notebook.
Do you find fulfillment in your current line of work? If not, what is the work you want to do? What is stopping you from doing it?
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