I was reading a book by Danny Meyer called Setting the Table. If you have never heard of Danny, he is one of New York’s top restauranteurs with more than 5 different high-end restaurants in his empire. He is also the creator of Shake Shack, the milkshake and burger bar taking the northeast by storm.
In his book Danny talks about the Excellence Reflex. We all know what a reflex is – an automatic response to something that happens. For instance, if I threw something at you, most likely you would have the automatic reaction to either duck or get out of the way. You don’t have to think, you just act.
The Excellence Reflex is exactly what it sounds like: a reflex to do the right thing without thinking about it. In business and in life, we are always confronted with situations that cause us to act. Whether it’s a messed-up order or a problem with a customer, we should not have to think about our response. We should not have to ask permission. We should not have to get someone to tell us what to do. Like a reflex, we should just act with excellence.
I love this analogy. We all know what a reflex is and what it’s like to do something without thinking. I hope the next time you are faced with a difficult situation your overarching reflex is to act with excellence.
Until next time…I’m Marty, make every minute count.
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