'You need to lower your standards'

Until a few days ago, a friend worked for an international banking and investment company. Her clients were not ultra-millionaires; most had investments in single-digit millions of dollars, a few had tens of millions. My friend worked her best to ensure her clients got the top deals possible and in keeping with established laws.

A couple of weeks ago, my friend had a meeting with the manager of the local branch of the international company. They talked about office operations and principles. Near the end of the meeting, the manager told my friend, “Your standards are too high. You need to lower your standards.” Through the local office, the manager is responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars of other people’s money.

When hearing that, I thought, “No, no. When you are entrusted with someone’s life savings, you must operate with the highest of standards. There can be no other way of doing your job.”

I also thought that when my friend was in Air Force Officer Training School, no one ever suggested she lower her standards. When she flew 150 reconnaissance missions over Afghanistan, no one said she should lower her standards. When she flew dozens of reconnaissance missions tracking South American drug flights, intercepting Colombian rebel radio and telephone calls, intercepting Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro conversations, no one told her to lower her standards.

Standards are what keeps a military organization functioning. No matter someone’s position in that organization, recognition of and adherence to standards make the organization work, contribute greatly to mission accomplishment.

Most civilian businesses do not focus on mission accomplishment, not to the extent that every employee understands the mission and that his or her place in the organization contributes to the mission.

Lower your standards. Yeah, that is what made America great.

My friend quit and now works for another international banking and investment company. Her now company has high standards.