The difference between mediocre business operations and great business operations is a drive for better. Not a drive for perfection; not a drive to keep things the same, but a drive for better.

Perfection sounds fantastic, but in something as variable as the business world, perfection isn’t attainable. There will always be room for improvement, and attempting to reach unattainable goals is one of the fastest tickets to burnout for any one person or any one business.

Too many of the companies I’ve worked for have settled for mediocrity. If they’re making money now, why would they change anything that they’re doing? 

What these businesses fail to realize is that doing the same thing over and over again is not sustainable. The world changes. Services and products that were once cutting-edge get tossed to the wayside of yesterday. This mindset completely ignores that more may be done at the company. More money could be made, but even more importantly, customer service can improve. Employee benefits and satisfaction can improve. The experience of being an employee or client of that business can be better.

Better.

The better mindset recognizes that the pursuit of perfection is often a futile effort, and even when it isn’t, in no case is perfection achieved without first bettering. The better mindset knows that things may be sufficient for now, but still strives for the greater meaning and fulfillment that improvement can bring.

Better is what the operations role should be about. Salespeople and marketing teams and customer success representatives do their jobs well, but what if their jobs could be made easier? What if they had more detailed knowledge bases, faster internet connections, or more interactive communication tools?

These sorts of “what-if” questions are the ones that should be on the minds of every operations professional. Think of what the answers could lead to! Improved employee morale, less customer frustration, more time saved, and fewer miscommunications are only a few, and they could make a tremendous difference at any company. If reading this makes you concerned that you aren’t properly implementing this mindset, don’t worry. The mindset you have now can be –

Better.