No excuses accepted here

After a great discussion last night with, an excellent frustrated leader about his employees continuing making sloppy mistakes. We talked about the importance of fundamental skills. There is no excuse for employees making sloppy mistakes.

The dictionary defines something as essential if it is necessary or fundamental; indispensable, inherent, or a basic feature or principle. Every job has requirements and a myriad of separate tasks, but when you strip away the "nice to do" from the core activities you find the essential tasks. These tasks must be completed flawlessly because the reputation of your organization rests on these tasks. You must align these essential tasks with the output of each employee and make sure each employee understands the standards. Teach them and evaluate them. If it is important to you it should be important to them.

I look at the Walt Disney Company as an example. "The mission of The Walt Disney Company is to entertain, inform and inspire people around the globe through the power of unparalleled storytelling, reflecting the iconic brands, creative minds and innovative technologies that make ours the world's premier entertainment company." You can bet each employee knows their essential tasks.