David Holmes Consulting: Education, Leadership, Organizational Management

  One of the biggest differences between average organizations and exceptional ones isn't talent, funding, or even experience. It's ownership. Think about the best coworkers you've ever worked with. Chances are they didn't wait to be told what to do. They noticed problems, looked for solutions, took initiative, and followed through without being asked. During my career in education, I was fortunate to have several individuals or groups I worked with who  answered “yes” before I ever finished the request for their help. They treated the organization's success as their own and loved to help in any way possible. Now think about someone who simply complied. They did what was asked, nothing more, nothing less. They likely weren't bad employee—they just weren't invested beyond completing the task. More likely than not, they didn’t have a great deal of job satisfaction either. That's the difference between compliance and ownership. Compliance says, "Tell m...

  Perfection Is the Enemy of Completion How many great ideas never become reality because someone is waiting for the "perfect" time, the "perfect" plan, or the "perfect" product? Perfection is one of the greatest barriers to progress. While striving for excellence is admirable, chasing perfection often leads to hesitation, procrastination, and missed opportunities. The truth is, completed work creates value. Perfect ideas sitting on the shelf do not. Successful leaders, entrepreneurs, and organizations understand that progress is built through action. They launch the new service, publish the article, have the difficult conversation, implement the new process, or begin the project knowing it won't be flawless. Then they learn, adjust, improve, and repeat. Think about nearly every successful business, product, or initiative you've encountered. Very few started in their final form. They evolved because someone was willing to begin. Customer feedback, ...