Dictionaries define "Excellence" in various way like greatness, brilliance, superiority, outstanding quality and many more. The word is rooted in latin- Excellere, which literally means- to surpass.

We see the business excelling when the performance surpasses:

• Internal targets
• Customer expectations
• Competition benchmarks

This definition brings with it a challenge!

Excellence ceases to be destination and becomes a journey.

Before beginning the journey it is important to build a common definition in the company.

There are many excellence models in practice. E.g Deming, Manufacturing Excellence, MBNQA/RBNQA to name just a few.

All models are equally good. Before you choose a model, ask yourself why do you want AN excellence model? The answer could be any one or a combination of the ones given below:

• Build a culture
• Improve business performance
• get and award

Another question to consider is what kind of industry you are in and what kind of commitment are you ready to provide.

There are usually 3 approaches to deployment-

1. Big Bang- A team of experts is put together to plan and execute a 9-36 month project. The big announcement is made by the leadership and all the employees are expected to support the initiative. Results in time bound delivery, not necessarily sustainable. More suitable if awards is the objective.
2. Brick by Brick- Starts small, usually with behavior, culture and process documentation. Maturity is measured at defined intervals and next steps taken when the base system is robust. Results in sustainable performance, not necessarily time-bound. More useful for culture building
3. Business Backwards- Starts with business targets, usually a 3-5 year plan. Milestones are decided and excellence team and approach evolves with business needs. May not follow any specific award model. Suitable for improving business performance.

Common pitfalls to avoid-

• Insufficient Leadership buy-in
• Overload on employees/Complexity
• Insufficient business connect
• Too much focus on "compliance"
• Insufficient/incompetent resourcing
• Lack of a time-bound plan.