I don't get it ...

I work for a publicly traded company ... a big one. Part of that is accountability and standards thereof. The way we choose to measure our own accountability toward goals that our investors and shareholders like to see is by means of internal audits. We audit our own stores twice a quarter, and my boss comes in and audits us once a quarter. We have an internal audit committee who audits entire districts randomly each year.

Today my boss performed the audit on my store. The minimum passing standard this month is 85%, with the new goal of next month being 90%. We did well enough to get a 90.7% today, which is a real relief for me. I missed stupid shit, which bothers me. By stupid stuff I mean a signature on a piece of paper, the original receipt in a refund ... stupid shit. I'll have it corrected before next time.

What I DON'T get is people who don't even TRY for things like that. After my audit I went to assist with another one nearby. Now, these were not surprise audits. My boss told us much earlier in the month WHEN he would be here, and we know he comes the 3rd quarter of every month anyway. So why then would someone not even CLEAN for an audit. It's the first question on the damn thing. I just don't get it. To me, that is disrespectful AND self destructive.

I look at my boss' visits, whether he is performing an audit or not, as a guest coming over. When I have guests at my apartment, I clean. Whether it is my mother or friends or neighbors, we clean. I mean, that's common courtesy. That is ESPECIALLY true when you KNOW the person who is coming has a higher level of expectation than that to which you hold yourself. How is that not just giving your guest the finger?


My mother doesn't expect me to clean for her, but I know she appreciates cleanliness, so I do a lot of it. Ok, so maybe I'm a clean person and I do it just as much for me, but that doesn't matter. I'd do it even if I wasn't. It's about respecting the person who is visiting.

I don't know why it bothers me so much. Maybe it's because I have higher expectations for cleanliness than my boss and I had to wallow in that filth today. But to me, if an audit is happening I think you should do what it takes to be the very best. Yes, I made stupid mistakes, but I'm going to correct them. Is the cleanliness portion of the next audit going to be taken care of? Probably not. That bothers me.

In a recent interview, I was asked what my motivation was to succeed in business and what it would be to succeed in that new position. I kinda stumbled on that. I really don't know what my motivation to succeed is because I can't imagine not trying to succeed. I mean, what else would someone want to do other than succeed? I don't get it. I guess my motivation to succeed is the sheer thought of NOT succeeding.

That isn't to say that I'm successful in everything I do in my job, but I think the question is based on overall success. I think I can claim I am a success thus far. Did I score a 100 on my audit? No. But, when many people set their goal at passing, I set mine at perfect. I think that attributes to my success.

If one is going to do something, they should want to do it well or better than anyone else. That is the kind of drive that pushes societies higher, careers farther, elevates quality of life and just helps add meaning to life. Or at least that's what I think.