Personal and team standards create the foundation for reaching significant goals. We all have personal standards that we set for ourselves. High achievers set the standard extremely high while others set the bar low or not at all. Teams also set standards for the work they do each day. While high achieving teams develop an extremely high standard and uphold it each day, the low achieving teams settle for less. High achieving people and teams uphold the standard every day and over an extended period of time. Here are ways to develop and uphold the standards:
- Define the Standards: Define all standards and then outline them to explain exactly what they look like in action. Everyone must understand the specifics of the standards to live by them each day.
- Share the Standards: Distribute and communicate the standards to all people who need to uphold them. The standards should be visible and transparent.
- Evaluate the Standards: Individuals should evaluate their standards weekly. In monthly meetings, teams should evaluate how well they’re reaching and upholding the standard through utilizing a specific evaluation.
- Be Accountable to the Standards: The leader of the organization must hold every person accountable to the standards. If someone isn’t upholding the standards, leadership must coach them on how to improve.
- Celebrate the Standards: When individuals or teams uphold or exceed the standards, everyone should celebrate it. The higher the standard, the more joyful it is when people and teams reach it.
Developing and upholding standards is a critical foundation for achieving goals. The challenge is to develop the standards high enough and then uphold them every day. Consistently living the standards over an extended period of time leads to reaching big goals by everyone.
How do you develop and uphold the standards individually or as a team?