Halo Habit #2: “Make Quality Personal”. Demonstrate a passion for excellence and take pride in everything you touch and everything you do. Don’t accept mediocrity. Good is not good enough. Always ask yourself, “is this my best work?”
Much like the Valentine’s Day card you bought this week, this particular fundamental runs much deeper than just letters on a page. This is because as the title suggests, it requires each of us to look internally and discover our own personal code and determine our ultimate motivator. When we as individuals commit to making quality personal, we are adhering to a standard that grows organically out of our desire to do the right thing (Halo Habit #1). When you think about what it means to make quality personal, the defining characteristic is to do high-quality work because it matters to you deep down on a personal level - not because you could make more money or get more in return; although that certainly may happen, you simply do it because you have a strong desire to provide the best possible product. This fundamental is essential in all aspects of life, both personal and professional.
Today in particular is all about making quality personal. As we spend the day paying a little extra attention to our loved ones for Valentine's Day, it is a great opportunity to revisit our commitment to excellence in our personal lives. With all relationships, time can be our greatest asset or our most persistent enemy. We have all experienced that almost magnetic buzzing of a new relationship that pushes us to do whatever it takes to make our partner happy and keep the relationship moving forward. When going the extra mile for them is a pleasure and not a chore. As time rolls on, the initial butterflies begin to fade into comfort and the world feels busier and heavier until suddenly you realize you may have mailed it in a bit. Now is the time when you are called to action.
In business, you could easily replace the above “partner” with “client” and see that this is just as common in our work lives. As a working relationship is established and routines become ingrained, we can find ourselves in a situation where we are no longer doing our best work and if we hope to continue, we must stop and refocus on our personal code to reignite our passion for excellence and dedication to top quality.
For Halo, making quality personal sets the foundation for the rest of our business and that starts with the right people. With years in the industry, we know that this trait isn’t in everyone. Some have it and some don’t. We consciously choose to invest our energy into those that do. We know that people who have it exhibit it in every area of their lives and all tasks - big or small. It isn’t in them to do anything halfway. Our team members push forward with passion and energy, have learned the importance of prioritization and time management, and are invaluable to our end product for our clients. When repetitive habits or complacency begin to creep in, these people can see it. They stop it before it spreads and take it upon themselves to ask “Am I doing my best work?” and “Am I proud of what I put forward?”.
At Halo, we know that everything we touch has our signature on it, whether it is a Valentine to a loved one or a Due Diligence report for a client and we aren’t afraid to stand behind our work and sign it in BOLD.