Today, I was doing what I normally do at WFXL FOX31, minding my own business, getting things done. Terry Graham, the Executive News Director walks into my office (which I call the "Zen Garden") and says... "Vince... Sometimes you have to just do the best with what you have to work with..." NOW if you knew Terry Graham, who has an incredible brand in the news industry, you would know that Terry is no less than a Perfectionist. Terry is that type of guy, that when you get around him, you just HAVE to do better (or look insanely stupid). Terry is what I like to call...
Driven.
Terry is extremely passionate about his work, and he IS the details. When I first started my adventure at WFXL FOX31 as the Interactive Managing Editor (they hired me for my thinking... DEFINITELY not my writing) I had to go head to head with Terry. I THOUGHT I was a Perfectionist until I met him. Everyday, Terry would push the envelope with me, challenging me to do more, be more, contribute more. I thank Terry for the "pushing" to this day. AND though I knew (and I believe I still know) a LITTLE more than Terry about the online audience - he bought a senior level News Director perspective to what it is that I do... Well here in the last 4 months, Terry has been charged with the responsibility of designing, and birthing a three hour morning show at WFXL FOX31, and we are closing in on a launch date.
That was the "backdrop"
Back to the reason for this post... The quote that Terry dropped on me and the story that followed...
Terry says... "Vince... Sometimes you have to just do the best with what you have to work with..." THEN he goes on to tell me this story about a point in his career where he had to "get lost" in order to "find himself..." and he talked about a chinese restaurant that he would visit on a regular basis in Los Angeles. THIS IS where this get's interesting... He tells the story of the restaurant and how awesome it was. He talked about going to the restaurant at least 5 times a week and really enjoying the food... He used the word...
Immaculate.
He then goes on to detail a day, where he went to the restaurant as he always had, and something was just not right... He said that the environment had a "hint of chaos" mixed in and this was very abnormal. He shared with me, that when his food was FINALLY bought out to him it was cold, and absolutely not like it had been all the times prior to this occasion. While he told the story I could see the frustration in his eyes. AND he said... Catch this, because THIS is the real power of this story... When he asked the Owner, what the deal was, the Owner looked at him squarely in the eye and said....
"Sorry about that..."
Terry (even while he is telling me this story) was surprised by the response. Shocked even. However; upon getting the answer - he did not stop there... He asked the Owner again.. "What IS the deal with this food today..." The Owner look at him squarely in the eye and said...
"Sorry about that..."
Well.. NOT to drag this out, because I need you to get the "nugget" of wisdom that I got from this...
Terry goes on to describe how he came BACK to the restaurant, some days later, and how he talked to a waiter who was serving him about the experience, and the waiter informed him that on THAT day, the Owner and his wife were the only ones working... They were short staffed. SO in an essence, they were doing the best with what they had to work with.
Take this with you...
If at the end of the day, you can look yourself in the eye, and stand on the idea that you did all that you could to DESIGN BIG, INNOVATE MORE, and REALLY... I MEAN REALLY make a DIFFERENCE, then you should shut down the workstation and GO HOME. If you look yourself in the eye, and you KNOW you could have PUSHED HARDER, been a better INNOVATION ACTIVIST, then on the next day... RAISE THE BAR!! Period.
If you have limited resources... Do the best with what you have. The ABSOLUTE best.