Striving for Success: What You Need to Know About the Hidden Costs of Excellence

Striving for Success- What You Need to Know About the Hidden Costs of Excellence

Mark Smallwood shares insights into the hidden costs of perfectionism, drawing from his experience as a manager in the 1990s. He recalls a launch party where his relentless pursuit of perfection led his team to work for 14.5 hours, resulting in harsh feedback comparing him to a Nazi guard. Mark reflects on a pivotal lesson from his boss: relentless perfectionism can alienate your team and harm morale. He urges leaders to understand the context of their actions and the impact on others. Mark highlights the importance of balance in leadership and invites listeners to share their own experiences with perfectionism and its challenges.

Transcript

https://otter.ai/u/O82zKuRIgVRoUrckDQhKs-ItHDk?view=transcript

Action Items

• Be mindful of how one's perfectionism may negatively impact others or cause burnout.

• Consider people's need for breaks and balance when striving for excellence. Account for context and differing needs/perspectives.

• Learn from mistakes like not discussing plans with the whole team or acknowledging others' limits. Prioritise communication and understanding different viewpoints.

Outline

The Drive for Perfection: A Personal Story

• Mark Smallwood introduces the podcast episode, focusing on the hidden costs of seeking perfection, inspired by Maggie Jon's podcast - Why Your Obsessive Ass Needs Fake Trust.

• Mark shares a personal story from the mid-1990s 😎 when he was working for a privately owned bar group and was appointed as an assistant manager of a flagship bar unit in SoHo, London.

• The day of the launch party arrives, and the team spends the whole day preparing, with the party starting at 6 PM and ending around 11 PM.

• After the party, Mark decides to clean down and set up for the next day, working for an extra two hours with his team, while the floor team chooses to rest.

The Consequences of Perfectionism

• The following day, there is a team meeting with the director of all the bars, where Mark expresses pride in the team's efforts and invites feedback.

• A team member compares Mark to a Nazi guard at a ☠️ camp, which leads to laughter but also a reality check from Mark's boss.

• Mark's boss explains that his relentless drive for perfection will make people hate him if he doesn't allow them to take breaks.

• Mark reflects on the importance of understanding context and the consequences of his actions on others, emphasising the need to balance perfectionism with team well-being.

Reflecting on the Lesson Learned

• Mark acknowledges that his neurodiversity played a role in his drive for perfection and the difficulty in understanding others' needs for rest.

• He shares that he initially saw the team's rest as laziness and felt justified in his approach, but learned that it was a mistake.

• Mark emphasises the importance of considering others' feelings and needs in leadership roles.

• He concludes by sharing his busy schedule, including writing his first book and working on multiple film plays and other books, and encourages listeners to share their own experiences and subscribe to the podcast.