The Value Series
I’ve decided to kick off some blog posts by explaining the values I have posted on the home page. I’ve chosen these three values because they’re threads that are woven throughout my human experience. They’re words that capture specific frames of mind or standpoints that I come back to in all scenarios and environments.
With that being said let’s talk about the first, Quality.
Quality Defined
The definition of quality that I’m referring to speaks to…
“character with respect to fineness, or grade of excellence:”
I like the word character in this definition because the “fineness” or “excellence” aspect of something that has good quality is found within the character or nature of that thing.
In my own words..
“Quality is the grade of excellence found within the essence of something or someone. “
Excellence is not achieved by accident. Excellence is a continual process of choosing to not settle for what may be deemed satisfactory or acceptable, but rather press on to improve. Quality measures three times and then cuts once with precision.
Kaizen
I recently stumbled upon the word “kaizen” in this blog post about coffee culture in Tokyo. Kaizen is a Japanese word that is simply defined as:
“the practice of continuous improvement”.
To me, the kaizen philosophy lays the building blocks for quality. Kaizen is a commitment to long-term growth, knowing that excellence is found within the refinement process. Kelsey Maiko Bock digs deeper into Kaizen by stating:
“It is the understanding that each aspect of daily life deserves the care and intentionality to improve. A key to kaizen is the discipline and deep dedication to one’s craft, something that transcends success measured by numbers, something that I believe has been lost in our tenacious pursuit of prosperity.”
Bock beautifully captures the essence of quality in her brief exposition on kaizen. Quality is not a measurement of success, but rather a measurement of one’s character. Quality is not about being the best, but about being committed to a principle that requires the best from an individual.
For me, quality embodies my pursuit of an enriching life. I want my measure of excellence to be engrained into all the things I do as well as the choices I make. With use of the Internet and social media I’ve begun to educate myself on what quality looks like in various arenas. In doing so I’ve become inspired by the craft and excellence embedded within some of the simplest things we take for granted like coffee and denim. The artisan quality found within these products has inspired me to contact the owners of these companies on various occasions. One thing I’ve noticed is that each owner is passionate about delivering a quality product to their customers, and this passion directly leads to great service.
These people are the ones that inspire me. The guy or girl that quits their 9-5 to follow their dream of serving the best coffee or baked goods to their community makes me want to be the best man I can be. I firmly believe that an individual’s reputation precedes them, and I want to be known as a man of quality.
