Raise your standards for positive impact

I’m not one for cliches, but “raise your standards” is a statement that’s truly powerful and is actually useful. Something if you were to apply to your every day life, whether it be a job, side work, living arrangements, or anything at all, it will make a tremendous positive impact.

Raising your standards can mean many things. It could mean not settling for 98% crash free rate for your app but aiming for 99.9% (if you have 100% crash free rate, super impressive and more power to ya). It could mean having proper spacing, headings, and formatting for a spec or report. Maybe it means you’d like to always be on time for meetings or maybe generally wanting more than what you have, even if what you have is already pretty darn good. It could also mean you want the absolute best quality in everything you do, give, or get.

In my opinion, knowing a person’s true standards plays a big part in understanding how they work and in assessing them. It’s one of the first things I test fellow colleagues on when they join the QA team. One way I like to do that is by giving them a task with a vague description and little guidance. I then see how many questions they ask, the quality of the questions, how hungry they are to do an outstanding job, and finally look at what they produce as a first deliverable. Although you might be able to test for this during the interview process, you never really know a person until you work with them.

Not only is it a great mentality to have, it actually leads to positive impact. Your quality of life will improve, your quality of work will improve, you’ll start getting anything you desire, and you’ll have a different outlook on life. Now be warned, it might mean you’ll be more critical of things around you but understand that everyone has a different way of approaching things. Some people work better in chaos, some need to be super organized. It’s a matter of reaching the right end result and the quality of that result.

Finally, be a leader in helping others around you reach their true potential and raising their standards. Make sure to do it professionally, kindly, and with no judgement. It is a mindset that can be taught and learned.