In a world of overload—information overload, option overload and overload overload—there are very few things that set organizations apart from one another. Making decisions about where we will shop, eat and even worship are becoming more and more difficult. Who has the best deal? Where did I have the best experience the last time I was there? Which comes the most recommended by my friends?
The decisions can be difficult and confusing.
I believe that those organizations that will survive and thrive have, as their foundation, one principal that helps them succeed and differentiate themselves. A principal that takes years to perfect and only moments to lose. The one principal that will launch a business from mediocre to phenomenal. What is it?
CONSISTENCY
I remember my days in the restaurant business. Consistency was the main goal of our business. Being consistently good, that is. If I go to the restaurant today and order a steak, it will be prepared exactly like it was when I ordered it weeks and even months ago. The service will be every bit as good as it was back “then.” The overall experience that I have will be good from the moment I walk through the doors until I leave at the end of my meal.
You see, consistency was vital before us—mostly because we wanted people (customers) to know EXACTLY what to expect every time they came to our restaurant. And, if that experience was good, they would choose to come to our place more often than they choose to go to our competitor’s place. And it boiled down to them knowing what they would get every time they stepped through our doors.
The same is true in every organization. Consistency is a foundational key to finding success in today’s “overloaded” culture. We must find ways to be more consistent so that the people that come to us can know what to expect and can feel comfortable enough to invite their friends and family to come along with them.
So, as a leader, here are five ways to know if your team is inconsistent:
1. You’re putting out fires instead of building bridges. If you find yourself regularly having to address crises rather than spending time with customers/people, then you have a team that is inconsistent. The leader of the organization/church/ministry should not be running around addressing issues—but should be meeting people and getting to know those that your organization is reaching.
