Excellence Standard Setting

Excellence Standard Setting

Establish and maintain championship-level standards for yourself and others, including holding people accountable while preserving relationships, using Michael Jordan's demanding leadership methodology. This framework recognizes that high standards create friction but championships create legacy. The methodology requires leading by example first (you cannot demand excellence you do not demonstrate), defining standards explicitly in specific and measurable terms, communicating with clarity and without softening, holding accountable consistently and immediately, and accepting the friction that high standards create. Jordan's justification was simple: "All the guys I went after won multiple championships, so I'm pretty sure they understand." The approach produces short-term relationship strain but long-term respect and results.

Core Principle

Your behavior IS the standard. People watch what you do, not what you say. You cannot be demanding if you are lazy. Lead by example first, always. Demanding is not demeaning; demands connected to winning elevate people toward their potential.

When to Use

• Need to raise performance standards for a team or individual
• Team is underperforming or accepting mediocrity
• Establishing expectations for a new role or project
• Struggling to hold people accountable without damaging relationships
• Building a high-performance culture
• User asks "How do I raise standards?" or "My team isn't performing" or "Set excellence standards"

Inputs

Jordan's Leadership Philosophy

Jordan's demanding leadership produced six championships but came at a cost. His approach was deliberate:

"Winning has a price. Leadership has a price. I pulled people along when they didn't want to be pulled. I challenged people when they didn't want to be challenged."

His justification: "All the guys I went after - Luc Longley, Steve Kerr, Jud Buechler - they won multiple championships, so I'm pretty sure they understand."

The Non-Negotiable Foundation

Jordan's approach rested on one critical principle: Lead by example first, always.

"He never asked me to do something that he didn't do himself."

You cannot demand excellence you don't demonstrate. The standard starts with you.

The Excellence Standard Framework

Step 1: Set the Example

Before demanding anything from others, establish your own standard:

The questions:

• Am I the hardest working person in this group?
• Am I the first to arrive and last to leave?
• Do I hold myself to higher standards than I ask of anyone else?
• Would I follow me?

Jordan's standard: "When you see your leader working extremely hard in practice, you feel like, 'Oh, man, if I don't give it my all, I shouldn't be here.'"

The principle: Your behavior IS the standard. People watch what you do, not what you say.

Step 2: Define the Standard Explicitly

Make expectations concrete and specific:

Bad: "We need to work harder." Good: "Every deliverable is reviewed by two people before it ships. No exceptions."

Bad: "Be more professional." Good: "Respond to client emails within 4 hours during business days."

Components:

• Specific behaviors (not attitudes)
• Measurable where possible
• Clear boundaries (what's acceptable vs. unacceptable)
• Connected to outcomes (why this standard matters)

Step 3: Communicate with Clarity

State the standard directly, without softening:

Jordan's approach: Direct, sometimes harsh, always clear. No one on the Bulls wondered what Jordan expected.

Your communication should include:

• What the standard is
• Why it matters
• What happens if it's not met
• That you hold yourself to this same (or higher) standard

Example: "Every practice, we go full speed. Not 80%. Full speed. Because games are played at full speed, and I won't have us lose because we practiced slow. This is non-negotiable."

Step 4: Hold Accountable Consistently

Accountability must be:

• Immediate - Address issues when they happen
• Consistent - Same standard for everyone (but you might invest more in correcting high-potential people)
• Specific - About the behavior, not the person
• Forward-focused - What will be different next time?

Jordan's method: Call it out in the moment, publicly if necessary, with intensity that matches the importance of the standard.

The balance: Fierce about the standard, respectful of the person's potential.

Step 5: Accept the Friction

High standards create friction. Jordan accepted this:

"Sometimes you have to be an assh*le. Sometimes your teammates are going to hate you."

What to expect:

• Initial resistance and resentment
• People questioning your approach
• Short-term relationship strain
• Some people will leave (this might be right)

What makes it work:

• Your own example (you can't be demanding if you're lazy)
• Results that vindicate the approach
• Long-term respect, even if short-term is difficult
• Championships (or whatever your equivalent is)

Workflow

Step 1: Gather and Review Inputs

Collect all relevant information:

• Review the provided data and context
• Identify key parameters and constraints
• Clarify any ambiguities or missing information
• Establish success criteria

Step 2: Analyze the Situation

Perform systematic analysis:

• Identify patterns and relationships
• Evaluate against established frameworks
• Consider multiple perspectives
• Document key findings

Step 3: Generate Recommendations

Create actionable outputs:

• Synthesize insights from analysis
• Prioritize recommendations by impact
• Ensure recommendations are specific and measurable
• Consider implementation feasibility

Output Format

## Excellence Standard Setting Plan

### Context
[Who you're setting standards for and the situation]

### Current State Assessment
**What's happening now:**
- [Current behavior/performance 1]
- [Current behavior/performance 2]

**Gap from excellence:**
- [Gap 1]
- [Gap 2]

### Your Example Audit
**Are you leading by example?**
- [Honest assessment of your own standard]

**What you need to do first:**
- [Action to establish your credibility]

### The Explicit Standard
**Standard 1:** [Specific, measurable behavior]
- Why it matters: [Connection to outcomes]
- What unacceptable looks like: [Clear boundary]

**Standard 2:** [Specific, measurable behavior]
- Why it matters: [Connection to outcomes]
- What unacceptable looks like: [Clear boundary]

### Communication Plan
**When:** [When you'll communicate the standard]
**How:** [Format - meeting, 1:1, written]
**Key message:** [The direct statement of expectation]

### Accountability Protocol
**How you'll monitor:** [Observation, metrics, check-ins]
**How you'll address violations:** [Immediate, specific, forward-focused]
**Escalation path:** [What happens if behavior doesn't change]

### Friction Acceptance
**Expected resistance:** [What pushback you anticipate]
**Your response:** [How you'll handle it while maintaining standard]
**The validation:** [What results will eventually justify this approach]

### The Jordan Statement
[A direct statement of the standard in Jordan's voice - demanding but connected to winning]

Critical Principles

You First, Always

If you're not the hardest worker, the most prepared, the most committed - you cannot demand excellence from others. Start there.

Demanding Is Not Demeaning

Jordan was demanding, not cruel for its own sake. The demands were always connected to winning, to helping people reach their potential. Cruelty without purpose destroys; demands with purpose elevate.

Results Are the Validation

In the moment, high standards feel harsh. In hindsight, with championships, they feel like exactly what was needed. Will Perdue's reflection: "Let's not get it wrong, he was a jerk. He crossed the line numerous times. But, as time goes on, you think back about what he was actually trying to accomplish and you're like: Yeah, he was a hell of a teammate."

Not Everyone Makes It

Some people won't meet your standards. That's okay. Better to have a smaller team at high standards than a larger team at mediocre ones.

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

1. Demanding without demonstrating

• Wrong: Setting high standards while not meeting them yourself
• Right: Being the hardest worker before demanding hard work
• Why: You cannot demand excellence you do not embody

2. Being demanding without purpose

• Wrong: Harsh criticism disconnected from outcomes
• Right: Demands always connected to winning and potential
• Why: Cruelty without purpose destroys; demands with purpose elevate

3. Inconsistent accountability

• Wrong: Different standards for different people based on relationship
• Right: Same standard for everyone, applied consistently
• Why: Inconsistency breeds resentment and undermines the standard

4. Softening standards to preserve comfort

• Wrong: Backing off when people push back
• Right: Accepting friction as the price of excellence
• Why: In hindsight, with championships, high standards feel necessary

5. Vague expectations

• Wrong: "Work harder" or "Be more professional"
• Right: Specific, measurable behaviors with clear boundaries
• Why: People cannot meet standards they do not understand

Example

Input: "I'm a product manager and my engineering team keeps missing deadlines. They're talented but undisciplined. We've had three sprints in a row where we didn't hit our commitments. I've mentioned it but nothing changes."

Output:

Excellence Standard Setting Plan

Context

Engineering team consistently missing sprint commitments. Three consecutive missed sprints. Previous mentions haven't changed behavior.

Current State Assessment

What's happening now:

• Commitments made but not kept
• "Mentioning" issues without clear consequences
• Pattern suggests the team doesn't believe deadlines are real constraints

Gap from excellence:

• Excellence = we hit what we commit to, or we communicate early and adjust
• Current = we miss and nothing happens

Your Example Audit

Are you leading by example? Honest question: Are your own commitments always met? When you say you'll have something ready, is it ready? Do you communicate early when things slip?

What you need to do first:

• Audit your own reliability over the past month
• If there are gaps, fix them first
• Make your commitments visible and hit them

The Explicit Standard

Standard 1: We commit to what we can deliver, and we deliver what we commit to.

• Why it matters: Our credibility with stakeholders depends on predictability. When we say something will be done, it needs to be done.
• What unacceptable looks like: Missing a committed deadline without flagging it at least 48 hours in advance.

Standard 2: Early escalation when commitments are at risk.

• Why it matters: We can adjust plans if we know early. We can't fix what we don't know about.
• What unacceptable looks like: Discovering a miss on the day something was due.

Communication Plan

When: Start of next sprint planning How: Team meeting, direct statement Key message: "We've missed our commitments three sprints in a row. That stops now. Going forward, here's the standard: we commit to what we can actually deliver, and we deliver what we commit. If something is at risk, you flag it 48 hours out minimum - no exceptions. I hold myself to this same standard. When I commit to having something ready for you, it will be ready.

This isn't about blame for what happened. It's about what happens next. Are we a team that keeps our word, or aren't we? I believe we are. Let's prove it."

Accountability Protocol

How you'll monitor:

• Daily standups with explicit "are you on track for your commitment?" question
• Mid-sprint check-in specifically on delivery confidence
• End of sprint: explicit review of commitments vs. actuals

How you'll address violations:

• First miss without early flag: Direct 1:1 conversation, understand what happened, restate the standard
• Second miss: Written documentation, discussion of whether this role is the right fit
• Pattern continues: Performance conversation with HR involvement

Escalation path: Miss without early communication is treated as a performance issue, not just a planning issue.

Friction Acceptance

Expected resistance:

• "Things come up we can't predict"
• "The estimates are hard"
• "You're being too rigid"

Your response:

• "Things come up - that's why we have the 48-hour rule. Flag it early."
• "If estimates are hard, commit to less. I'd rather we commit to 5 things and deliver 5 than commit to 10 and deliver 7."
• "This is the standard. It's the same standard I hold myself to."

The validation: When we start hitting commitments consistently, stakeholders trust us more, planning gets easier, and the team's reputation improves.

The Jordan Statement

"Three sprints in a row. That's a pattern. That's a choice. Starting now, we choose differently. We commit to what we can deliver, and we deliver what we commit. Period. If that means we commit to less, fine - I'd rather have fewer promises kept than more promises broken. This is what winning looks like in our world. Are you in or not?"

Integration

This skill is part of the Michael Jordan expert persona. Use it to build championship-level standards that elevate performance.

Works well with:

• competitive-response-analysis - For understanding what excellence looks like in context
• accountability-mapping - For tracking who owns what
• performance-feedback - For delivering demanding feedback effectively

When to prefer this over alternatives:

• Need to raise performance standards for a team or individual
• Team is underperforming or accepting mediocrity
• Struggling to hold people accountable without damaging relationships
• Building a high-performance culture

Cautions:

• This approach produces friction; accept it or don't use it
• Some people will leave; this might be right
• Results are the validation; without results, this is just harsh

Success Criteria

Excellence standard setting is successful when:

• Your own example is audited honestly
• Standards are explicit, specific, and measurable
• Communication is direct without softening
• Accountability protocol is defined with escalation path
• Expected friction is acknowledged with response prepared
• The "Jordan statement" captures the standard with demanding clarity

Remember Jordan's truth: High standards create friction. But championships create legacy. The people who win together remember the standards, not the comfort.