Previously I wrote about operational excellence in terms of branding. The three main forms of operational excellence are pricing, service, and quality. I’d like to expand on this notion by acknowledging that these three areas are not mutually exclusive. McDonald’s, for instance, focuses on fast service and low prices. Mercedes is known for excellent quality and service, as is Nordstrom.
There is a pattern worth noting. Cheap, fast, great: pick two. Mashing up a couple of classic rock lyrics, you can’t always get what you want, but two out of three ain’t bad.
This is true when building a brand. You cannot be all things to all people. Pick a lane and own it. It’s also true when managing people and projects. I knew a marketing manager who often was frustrated because a project wasn’t done perfectly, or it took too long, or it was too expensive. Something was always wrong.
You can pay extra money to produce something of high-quality fast. You can pay less money if you're willing to compromise on quality or delivery time. You can get something quickly and cheaply if you sacrifice quality. You rarely, if ever, get all three.
Maybe with a fresh perspective, you can see that you can still be successful without all three.
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