Some view excellence in business as a phenomenon that only exists in western businesses, while they look at business failure as something that lingers within third world businesses. Such a perception puts morals down and is demotivating.
Companies can achieve success everywhere. Regardless of their nationality or where they decide to set up camp, if companies opt for excellence, follow best practices, build their unique proven business practices and have a genuine business idea that adds value, they can achieve excellence in business.
As a trainer of project management, I always cite examples of western companies as related to excellence in business and this is sometimes interpreted in the wrong way. Because most of the examples are from the western world, some feel that there is no excellence in our part of the world, which is inaccurate to say the least. Excellence in business may be better documented and more widely communicated in western companies due to the special attention paid there to documentation and to the fact that the media usually highlights these successes. It is also true that business excellence may have a longer track record in the West, at least in modern times, but that record is currently being strongly and consistently challenged by companies from other parts of the world, and in many instances, non-western companies are actually winning the race. In the IT industry, for example, many Indian companies were able to snatch big accounts from their American counterparts during the business process outsourcing trend.
Some feel that the western companies are immune to failure. Everyday examples show us otherwise. Even some of the most mature business operations in the West have had their share of failure, and sometimes with a flare, too. The IT bubble and the avalanche of bankrupted companies which resulted gives plenty of examples of such failures.
Once a company and its staff succumb to the idea that they cannot excel just because of their nationality or where they are set, then excellence becomes impossible to achieve. Of course, a staff that surrenders their quest for excellence will give a thousand excuses for that: Management is not supportive, we do not have the right resources, we do not have the right training, and so on. Some shrug their shoulders and say, “where do you think you are, in the US?” when someone suggests the implementation of a best practice in their daily work. Yet, those who lived and worked in the US and other western nations for a significant amount of time know that many of the greatest minds working on innovation in the West are not necessarily westerners.
The global market accepts newcomers, especially those who bring value to their global clients. Regardless where a company is from, it can excel and sell to the world, or at least it can deliver locally, based on international standards. It is a matter of choice more than anything else. Companies choose the path of excellence, and they do not take that path just because of where they are from or the nationality of their workers.
Some may suggest that the only way to achieve excellence is by mimicking international companies. One may begin by imitating those who have achieved excellence. Imitation may be a learning experience for a company starting on the path of excellence. You should also realise that using best practices does not limit creativity or prevent a company from doing something unique. Notice that the focus here is on using proven best practices, and that can be done even if the product being attempted, in itself, is unique. Companies who start delivering value can now improve on the best practices they started with and then become providers of best practices, and thus leaders in their industries.
Fortunately, information on how to achieve excellence in most industries is available in literature and even on the Internet. There are best in class processes which can be purchased, and some are free. There is also training as well as consultants who can provide guidance on building excellence. The key, again, is to choose excellence and refuse to be another company with mediocre processes and hence mediocre products.
Looking around at companies here in Jordan and in the Middle East, there are many who were able to achieve excellence, and others who have taken some serious steps on the path towards excellence. These are not only big companies, but include small ones from various industries: Manufacturing, pharmaceutical, logistical, and even small restaurants and shops. One has to be hopeful that more Jordanian and Middle Eastern companies will choose and find excellence and even surpass global standards and become leaders in their fields, not only locally, but also worldwide.
Monday, March 12, 2007