Have a passion for excellence

I recently enjoyed a good laugh with someone who joked that - because of my calls for accountability over the high school renovation project - I was being obstructionist. After all, why not just get it done and move on?

Like everyone else, I want the high school finished. No one - absolutely no one - benefits from a half-finished mongrel. However, "move on" is one of those terms - like "good enough" - that wreaks of mediocrity. In a nation that was built on being the best and a state that is home to such champions as the Red Sox and the Patriots, I cannot fathom why anyone would accept such an attitude from their leaders.

Like many companies, my employer has certain guiding principles. I'd like to share a few with you, so you understand where I'm coming from...

Have a passion for excellence, and eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy and all the nonsense that comes with it.
* Know that good is not good enough.
* Be dissatisfied with mediocrity.

Set aggressive targets; be accountable, committed and decisive.
* Set challenging goals and measure our progress in accomplishing them.
* Have a bias for action.
* Proactively identify and act on problems and opportunities.
* Do not make or accept excuses.

Let's raise the bar. Let's have a passion for excellence, be dissatisfied with mediocrity, and not make or accept excuses.

Let's set an aggressive target - let's finish the high school - but let's be accountable along the way.