I have known Brian Cornell for many years. He has been leading companies ever since we met, taking him into the executive suites at Safeway, Michaels stores, PepsiCo and Sam\u2019s Club. Today, he is the chief executive officer of Target. He knows firsthand the benefits of dedicating himself to excellence. Part of his process is learning to be comfortable as a teacher and a student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brian shared this story with me: \u201cLeaders who are mature recognize that they can\u2019t be perfect. I was criticized for wanting to be perfect at an early stage in my career. I wanted to make sure I was completely buttoned up. One day, my old boss sat me down and said, \u2018Brian, you do great work, you have an amazing work ethic and you\u2019re always organized. Everything is perfect and every word\u2019s been thought out. But you should spend more time just being yourself, being genuine and staying approachable.\u2019\u201d Brian uses this lesson every day as he leads Target through the storm clouds in today\u2019s modern business world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are some suggestions for achieving excellence and loosening your attachment to perfection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stop trying to be perfect. You are an imperfect human being by nature. Acknowledge your perfectionism right out of the gate and view life as a journey of experimentation and continuous learning. Get comfortable with ambiguity and expect to make some mistakes. Practice mental toughness and mental tenderness. You deserve both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Good enough is good enough. Work toward progress, not perfection. Expose yourself to situations that you fear, like your fear of embarrassment when you make a mistake in front of people. You might even practice being imperfect with others. Cultivate your confidence and humility\u2014even if it hurts. And recognize your tendency to worry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you feel anxiety, try meditation or take a walk in nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Stop judging and putting yourself down for being imperfect and recognize the beauty of your imperfections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Seek out experiences that take you out of your comfort zone and don\u2019t be afraid to ask for feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Have confidence that you will perform excellent work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your perfectionistic mind plays tricks on you. Change your internal dialogue and self-talk. Throw cold water on your inner critic, and stop comparing yourself with others. Distinguish what you can and cannot control. The more honest you are about the difference, the less time you will waste and the less angst you will experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reframe who you are, how you think and how you act. Remember you can change. Acknowledge how your thoughts and feelings hijack you. Let go of your fears of being wrong. Be aware of how the external forces in your life\u2014bosses and colleagues, teachers and social pressures\u2014can dictate your perfectionism. Are they pressuring you to be perfect? Are you influenced by the success of others? Remember: you control how these forces affect you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Tell yourself positive thoughts about your performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Know your most vulnerable situations, like when you receive negative feedback from others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Catch yourself being rigid and overorganizing your world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perfectionistic work is not productive work. Loosen the pressure to produce all the time. Be flexible with your excessive standards and know your breaking point when you might burn out, or you stop being creative or productive. Get rid of your inner rule book that stifles you and imposes unnecessary restrictions. Schedule your time realistically and beware of getting sidetracked by details. Sometimes, it\u2019s best to tackle your most difficult work first and remember to take breaks throughout the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you happen to live or work with a perfectionist, be aware of their negative effect on you. The key is to stay engaged with healthy boundaries between the two of you. When they show their perfectionistic side, don\u2019t take their behavior personally; don\u2019t deny your own feelings, foster your own self-esteem; and don\u2019t be afraid to embrace your own imperfections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 For the perfectionist, be flexible with your excessive standards that can blind and shackle you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Set smart goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. Being SMART will help you avoid procrastination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Separate your work time from family and personal time. When you do, try to be in the moment with your partner, kids and friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perfectionism influences how you interact with others at work too. To minimize its impact, practice constructive impatience. The constructive side aims to create a psychologically safe environment for those around you. It\u2019s where people feel good about themselves, feel empowered to take risks and are open to new ways of doing things. You are under- standing and patient and show people they are valued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another side of you is impatient, wanting visible, immediate results. So you push and make demands not only for yourself but those around you. You want everyone, including yourself, to stretch their abilities and eagerly pursue their goals. The combination of a constructive mindset and impatience avoids the effects of perfectionism and fosters excellent work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Create a healthy, safe environment for people while focusing on results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Involve people in decisions while nudging them out of their comfort zones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Set higher goals while helping people find meaning in their work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n