President Rebecca M. Bergman
What comes to mind when you think about “Delivering Excellence”? To me, this phrase refers directly to our actions and the quality of our work. We generally judge excellence by the results we see or experience. For example, we might talk about an excellent meal, an excellent book, an excellent music performance, or excellent customer service. In all these cases, we mean that the quality of the work or experience was exceptional and stood out as distinctive and memorable.
How do you define excellence in your work? What makes the difference between mediocre and excellent? At the end of the day, what would it take to feel a moment of pride for excellent results? Think about it, or better yet, write it down. Getting clear about the definition of excellence in your individual performance will motivate you to strive for excellence.
In my mind, excellence means being prepared to do my very best every day, in every situation. It means setting a high personal standard for my performance and always striving to do a little better today than yesterday. It means paying close attention to the important tasks that need to get done and all the people who are helping to accomplish these tasks.
While individual excellence is important, it is only the beginning. Excellence at the organizational level is a team sport (or perhaps I should say, a “community” sport). Achieving excellence means stretching for high performance in every team, department, and division across the institution. No one person at Gustavus can effectively deliver an excellent liberal arts education to over 2,200 students. It takes all of us, working together, each doing our part, to accomplish the mission of this institution.
Today, and every day, are you on the path to excellence?
Until next week, keep up the good work, Gusties!
With respect,
Becky