Quality is an Attitude

The Principles of Quality

	Quality is an Attitude OBVIOUS BUT UNKNOWN
Home Contact Don Order the Book ESSAYS ON QUALITY What Is Quality? Quality as a Tool for Success The Necessary Steps Before Personal Improvement Can Occur The Difference Between Personal Development and Personal Improvement Quality is so Easy, Why Settle for Less? Quality is an Attitude Increase Your Success by Increasing Quality Responses from readers: "I am truly blown away." D.D. "If you're looking for immediate results, try applying the principles presented in this book." L.M. "This book has inspired me to raise the bar in all areas of my life, and with your simple and realistic approach, I know that I can!" M.Y.	Attitudes are learned Let us assume, rightly or wrongly, that babies are not born with attitudes. Or if they are, not very many. Babies mimic attitudes from their parents and caregivers initially. As they grow, they experiment with copying other attitudes they see around them (helpful, demanding, loving, belligerent, etc.), and adopt those that produce the results they want. In short, attitudes are adopted, by choice. Conscious or unconscious choice, but by choice nonetheless. Unfortunately, the attitude of quality is uncommon, so is seldom adopted. In fact, the opposite is far more common, the attitude of anti-quality. Children who enjoy study and get good grades are eggheads. Those who excel at math are nerds. Neat and well-behaved kids are squares, or whatever the latest derogatory term is. Meticulous, detail-oriented people are nitpickers. Self-respecting teens are prudes. By the time one reaches adulthood, with all its responsibilities, most people's attitudes are pretty well set in stone. More often than not, these attitudes include a certain degree of resignation, as evidenced by some common expressions: "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." "Good enough for government work." "You get what you pay for." "No one expects it to be perfect." The result is the world we live in: full of error, mediocrity, bad drivers, high school drop-outs, unreliable technology, and daily unpleasant surprises. The idea of quality being a standard operating basis is completely unthinkable by almost anyone. But why? Attitudes are adopted, not innate. Anyone can adopt an attitude. Why not adopt the attitude of doing things as well as you can? Of looking for ways to make things better? Of helping others do things better? No one can make you adopt an attitude, but no one can stop you either. And if adopting an attitude of quality means giving up the attitudes of defeat and just-try-to-get-by to make room for it, is that a bad thing? Quality is created Things are not the way they are because that's the way they are. Things are the way they are because people make them that way. People. Not cats or dogs or trees or computers. People. If a person wants to do something right, he can. If a lot of people wanted to do things right, then things wouldn't be so wrong. That's all a Quality Attitude is: Wanting to do things right. Even if it isn't "necessary." Even if it takes a little longer. Even if you're "not paid enough." Why bother? Because doing things better gets better results. Neat stuff, like happiness and respect and pride, and who knows, maybe even a raise, or a happier family. Do it long enough, keep doing things better and better, and the sky's the limit. Not overnight, but sooner than you think, and as certainly as the sun will rise. So keep a few things in mind. Things can be better. Your life can be better. Your job can be better. The world can be better. Quality is first and foremost an attitude. It's yours for the taking. Adopt it and win. Anyone Can Improve His or Her Life: The Principles of Quality goes into much greater depth about quality than this little essay can, and makes everything very easy. Have fun with it. Let me know how it goes for you.
Copyright © 2009 Don Dewsnap All rights reserved worldwide.

Quality is an Attitude

OBVIOUS BUT UNKNOWN

Home
Contact Don
Order the Book

ESSAYS ON QUALITY

What Is Quality?

Quality as a Tool for Success

The Necessary Steps Before Personal Improvement Can Occur

The Difference Between Personal Development and Personal Improvement

Quality is so Easy, Why Settle for Less?

Quality is an Attitude

Increase Your Success by Increasing Quality

Responses from
readers:

"I am truly blown away."
      D.D.

"If you're looking for immediate results, try applying the principles presented in this book."
      L.M.

"This book has inspired me to raise the bar in all areas of my life, and with your simple and realistic approach, I know that I can!"
      M.Y.

Attitudes are learned

Let us assume, rightly or wrongly, that babies are not born with attitudes. Or if they are, not very many. Babies mimic attitudes from their parents and caregivers initially. As they grow, they experiment with copying other attitudes they see around them (helpful, demanding, loving, belligerent, etc.), and adopt those that produce the results they want. In short, attitudes are adopted, by choice. Conscious or unconscious choice, but by choice nonetheless.

Unfortunately, the attitude of quality is uncommon, so is seldom adopted. In fact, the opposite is far more common, the attitude of anti-quality. Children who enjoy study and get good grades are eggheads. Those who excel at math are nerds. Neat and well-behaved kids are squares, or whatever the latest derogatory term is. Meticulous, detail-oriented people are nitpickers. Self-respecting teens are prudes.

By the time one reaches adulthood, with all its responsibilities, most people's attitudes are pretty well set in stone. More often than not, these attitudes include a certain degree of resignation, as evidenced by some common expressions:

"You can't teach an old dog new tricks."
"Good enough for government work."
"You get what you pay for."
"No one expects it to be perfect."

The result is the world we live in: full of error, mediocrity, bad drivers, high school drop-outs, unreliable technology, and daily unpleasant surprises. The idea of quality being a standard operating basis is completely unthinkable by almost anyone.

But why? Attitudes are adopted, not innate. Anyone can adopt an attitude. Why not adopt the attitude of doing things as well as you can? Of looking for ways to make things better? Of helping others do things better? No one can make you adopt an attitude, but no one can stop you either. And if adopting an attitude of quality means giving up the attitudes of defeat and just-try-to-get-by to make room for it, is that a bad thing?

Quality is created

Things are not the way they are because that's the way they are. Things are the way they are because people make them that way. People. Not cats or dogs or trees or computers. People. If a person wants to do something right, he can. If a lot of people wanted to do things right, then things wouldn't be so wrong.

That's all a Quality Attitude is: Wanting to do things right. Even if it isn't "necessary." Even if it takes a little longer. Even if you're "not paid enough."

Why bother? Because doing things better gets better results. Neat stuff, like happiness and respect and pride, and who knows, maybe even a raise, or a happier family. Do it long enough, keep doing things better and better, and the sky's the limit. Not overnight, but sooner than you think, and as certainly as the sun will rise.

So keep a few things in mind. Things can be better. Your life can be better. Your job can be better. The world can be better. Quality is first and foremost an attitude. It's yours for the taking. Adopt it and win.

Anyone Can Improve His or Her Life: The Principles of Quality goes into much greater depth about quality than this little essay can, and makes everything very easy.

Have fun with it. Let me know how it goes for you.