Perfection

Perfection is an interesting concept. When I was at school phrases like ‘practice makes perfect’ were bandied about. A perfect score was what you aimed for. Perfection was the ultimate sign of success.

My understanding of perfection has changed over the years.

In my profession, perfection is dangerous. It leads to blow-outs in project timelines and soaring costs. Clients who seek perfection end up with eye-wateringly long change registers and huge bills.

‘Perfection is the enemy of good’ is the phrase I most commonly use now. In the digital age, the content and concepts in the ‘living’ documents we work on are continually being changed and adapted. I spend a lot of time talking my clients through review cycles and what needs to be focussed on at each stage. I talk a lot about the balance between completion and perfection.

My colleague had this conversation with one of our clients recently, and he laughed. He’s a long-haul airline pilot. In our work together we’re creating training resources for pilots – a profession where perfection needs to be managed. In his work as a pilot, perfection is essential. People’s lives depending on him getting it right, all the time.

I find it interesting how perfection means different things in different professions. My profession had shaped my understanding of the concept, and I hadn’t even realised. It makes me wonder what other concepts I have absorbed as absolutes over the years.

What does perfection mean in your profession? Is it something to be cautious of, or is it essential?