The quality of what you do is more important than the quality of what you do.
You (sarcastically): "Thanks, Brady, for being so clear."
I believe there are two types of quality.
The quality of what you do, as it matters to you.
The quality of what you do, as it matters to others.
A great marriage forms when you reconcile the differences between what matters to you, and what matters to others, and make something better from both. However, this is not often the case.
What matters to you
The other performers who share the stage with you.
The repertoire you perform.
To execute the repertoire in a way aligned with your style.
To receive what you believe to be a fair wage for the work performed.
The time it takes to get to the gig.
The clothes you'll need to wear, do they align with your style?
Any extra tasks that take time away from what important to you.
To be treated fairly.
To receive what you perceive to be equitable treatment.
What matters to others (customers)
Do the people who are performing look like they love what they do?
I want my guests to be impressed, does the staging area look professional?
It's important to me that my guests are not disturbed, are the performers set up before anyone arrives?
Will the music performed resonate with my crowd?
Will people walk away talking about how this was the best party of the year?
Years later, will people still talk about my party?
I've got so many other expenses; I hope the music doesn't become a huge line item.
Do I have the right lighting?
Did I leave the oven on?
What matters, matters
Understanding how others define quality enables you to understand how to demonstrate it.
"People who believe what I believe, do things the way I do things."
You need to be able to see the world from your customer's position.
When you can see the world from their eyes, you can show them that you believe what they believe.
When you demonstrate that you believe what they believe, they will work with you.
They will work with you because you are safe.
Creating the Marriage
Before starting any new project, determine a few things upfront.
Who is this for? Create a specific picture of the customer.
What do they believe? Empathetically project yourself into their hearts and minds.
What do they fear? What are their problems? You don't have the right to be the answer until you know the question!
For my customer, what's the impact if things go right? How will you improve their lives?
What will make people want to share the experience with others?
When you take steps to understand how your client/customer defines quality, you'll find more clients that want to work with you.
Go a step further, when you adopt their definition of quality and execute your work in a way that matters to them, you'll find satisfaction in what you do. Why?
Because you've served someone else, they're happy because of what you did for them. Your customer will share with the others. You'll thrive.
Quality matters.
Others matter.
Serve them.
