A sincere desire to make a positive difference

Excellence Thursday 26 Jul, 2007 7:35 am

This was the daily motivator on my personal web page today at MyWay.com.

"Excellence is not a skill. It is an attitude. Excellence comes not from education, money, ability or connections alone. It comes from a commitment to do the very best with whatever you have available."

~Ralph Marston

On the day after the completion of issue #3 of Soky Happenings magazine, this quote struck me quite solidly. In March of this year I decided to create, publish, print and distribute a brand new events magazine for my community. I knew it would be hard and I knew there was plenty I did not know, yet I decided to do the best job I can... and I did.

The process of creation presented a number of decisions as to the layout of the magazine, it also included decisions relating to the size, paper types and color. With the help of those I trust, I decided to strive for excellence and produce a high quality large (tabloid sized), full color magazine that included a staple binding. This decision was costly as it equated to more than 3 times the cost of my least expensive option.

What drove the decision for quality was based solely on the desire for excellence! The motivation for the new publication was founded on the desire to produce a high quality useful resource that the community would enjoy, use and embrace. Cutting corners on the end product was never an option because of the desire for excellence.

I spend countless hours building each issue making sure the details are addressed. If an element such as an image or graphics does not meet up to quality standards, then I choose another, build it from scratch or modify it so it does. Checking all advertisements, articles, photos for the right colors, fonts and dots per inch takes a lot of time, the end result is excellence.

Then there is the calendar grid. There are more than 714 events in the calendar. My wonderful wife spends the entire month researching, calling, checking and entering each event into the database. At the time of publishing, Carrie and I sit and double check each of those items as they are laid into the magazine. We highlight our sponsors, featured articles and make sure the text is formatted properly. Again, it would be easier to program the software to automate the process, but these extra hours are well invested in our pursuit of excellence.

More than an image to maintain, or a prideful pursuit, the drive for excellence is engrained in all we do. Sure we want something we can be proud of, and yes we want a good image for the new company, but at the end of the day we seek excellence out of commitment and loyalty to our purpose.

Where does it come from? I've asked myself this question many times. I think back to my education and training and wonder if this desire for excellence is due to being an Aircraft inspector in the Air Force. Could it be my experience as a chemical analyst in a production foundry that inspired perfection? Maybe it's my time as a Flight Engineer where the lives of our patients, passenger and crew depended on my attention to detail and situational awareness. It could also be the many years as a webmaster where I was committed to standards, security and quality for my clients.

I'm not exactly sure what has enabled me to be so diligent in my pursuit of excellence. I can see where it has paid off over the years. Just as the examples above, my attention to detail has resulted in perfect inspections, ribbons for 100% quality, awards from crewmates and commanders, promotions and yes respect from those who see and understand my investment.

Some of my friends call it "anal retentiveness." Coworkers and subordinates are sometimes frustrated by my inability to accept mediocrity. Even my own wife jabs me when I measure out every single ingredient in a food recipe, only later to make the comment, "I wish I could cook like this."

I believe the pursuit of excellence comes from a number influences and experiences. No matter where it comes from or what has inspired it, the results have been apparent through some of my achievements. It can also be frustrating when I invest time in programming or layout and no one in the world truly understand the depth of my commitment, but then in the end, I remember it's not about the accolades, it's about doing the job right.

Passion is a huge part of excellence! Looking back at the many jobs, responsibilities and tasks, I can see that my drive for perfection is directly affection for my passion or commitment to the cause. Case in point, I was Superintendent of Public Affairs in the Air Force as assigned by the Wing Commander and Public Affairs Officer. When my PA Officer was reassigned, my passion faltered. When the commander was reassigned, my passion evaporated. The result was a genuine lack of enthusiasm and my attention to detail was adversely affected. When I saw that I was not meeting my own expectations for excellence, I resigned from the position. With the passion lost, I could not find the motivation for excellence and I no longer wanted the job.

I could cite many more examples; the point is that passion does have an effect on excellence. In the absence of passion, responsibility, duty and commitment can and does replace passion, but only for so long. Eventually, at least for me, I seek new challenges that bring back the passion I long for and allow me to embrace the pursuit of excellence once again.

I am passionate of my new magazine! I am proud of my community and have a desire to make a difference. I want the work we do to be enjoyed and utilized. I understand this is a business and profitability is important, but the motivation to stay up for days without sleep or the attention to detail to ensure quality print does not come from "business." This motivation comes from a passion for what we are doing and an ingrained desire for excellence.

The reward far surpasses any monetary gain, the reward comes from the community and the letters, calls and e-mail that simply say "thank you." The reward comes through comments from my peers who point to the color, the quality, and the effort.

There is another humbling aspect of the pursuit of excellence, and that is the ability to seek advice and listen to others. I think the willingness to admit you don't know everything can be one of the most effective tools used in achieving excellence. The ability to accept criticism and to listen to those who offer it can help a person reach a higher level of excellence than relying on our own judgment and ability. Sure, the buck stops here and the decisions are ultimately made by the person seeking excellence, but to set aside the ego and control enough to truly listen to others can supercharge the engine that drives excellence.

I am proud of Soky Happenings! I am committed to making it a useful and attractive. I not only listen to others, I seek out advice and counsel from many people to help her achieve excellence. I believe that if we continue to build a resource that keeps our community in mind, the financial rewards will continue to grow. If we continue to seek ways to improve the magazine in a manner that serves the community and the readers the best, our distribution and reach will expand. In the end, if we continue to strive for excellence, the community of South Central Kentucky will be served and the business known as Soky Happenings will thrive.

Passion, commitment, enthusiasm, are all a part of what drives me; and through these intangible emotions, my heart is set on excellence. It is what inspires the attention to detail and thoroughness it takes to produce the product that is Soky Happenings.

Ralph Marston continues:

"Excellence comes from thoroughness, from attending to the necessary details while staying clearly focused on the purpose. Excellence comes from a sincere desire to make a positive difference."

~Ralph Marston

A sincere desire to make a positive difference... yeah, that's what I meant to say in the first place.

Ralph Marston has been publishing daily motivators for many years. Ralph is a graduate of Southern Methodist University with a Bachelor of Business Administration. A devout Christian, Mr. Marston has a passion for personal development and it is demonstrated through his commitment to the daily motivator. In short, he has achieved excellence through his passion. Find him at http://www.greatday.com/