IT THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

Which is better, quality or quantity? I suppose it depends on what is important to you.

I recently read a story about a dedicated family man who also brought his work home with him each night. He made it a priority to always be home for dinner and to make time to play with his daughter each day but was always on his cell phone or the computer. At one point he got very busy at work and started coming home later, resulting in a few missed dinners and having less time to spend with his daughter. Since his time with his daughter was now limited, he would spend whatever time he had focused on her, without the distraction of his cell or his computer. After about a week of this new routine, his daughter made a strange request, she asked him to come home late every day. Perplexed, the man asked why and she responded with “because you spend time with me!”

I learned the quality vs. quantity lesson a while back. I was looking to buy a suit when I was first starting out after college. Someone wiser suggested a name brand suit, and despite it being more than I wanted to spend, I followed their advice. That suit lasted almost 10 years and still looked new! I actually ended up donating it because I was tired of looking at it. Had I bought a suit of lesser quality I would have probably replaced it several times and it would have ultimately cost me more in the long run.

When I was younger it was all about the quantity, the one with the most toys won. As I get older I realize that what matters is quality.  Yes, quality costs more initially but in the long run it is much cheaper. I don’t mean just materialistic things, but also intangibles we hold dear, like relationships, or respect. I value the relationships I have built over the years and I value the trust I receive from those close to me.

But I can tell you that if I am on stuck on a deserted island I would rather have more food than better food, so I can live longer. ?

“Quality is never an accident. Is it always the result of intelligent effort.”- John Ruskin

Have a quality weekend.

Vijay