I assert that pursuing perfection is a suboptimal distraction. By all means do it for your own satisfaction in your craft, but organisations generally shouldn’t, for several reasons:
We don’t have enough control over the conditions to achieve it.
We don’t need it (except in special circumstances, usually involving human life or high precision technology).
The diminishing returns make it inefficient.
Statistical variation hides it.
Most of all, the goal moves too often. Adaptability is essential and it is often sub-optimal.
What should the other signposts be?
Well, I just said Adaptability is one.
What else?
From others:
- Action
- Growth
- Progression
- Control could be another of the signs. It’s a mirage that will distract us.