Pedantic is defined as “narrowly, stodgily, and often ostentatiously learned a pedantic insistence that we follow the rules exactly” and “unimaginative, dull.” You’ll see in a minute why I began with this definition.
I read an interesting article in today’s Chicago Tribune on the signs of greatness in companies. One of the key signs is that “no one is pedantic.”
For 26 years, [the author has] been involved in multiple organizations and volunteered at many different entities both small and large, and the one thing that seems to kill all progress and creativity is a heaping dose of pedantry. When everyone acts like know everything, when they are slavishly devoted to rules and when they are fussy, finicky, strict and overly fastidious, then nothing good will happen.
When the company is filled with open-minded people who want to learn new things, it becomes a great place.
So, what kind of firm or department do you work in? And even more specifically, what are the new things you’ve learned in the last month? Year?
This trait fits tightly with the need for a culture of continuous improvement. If you are not improving, you are falling behind. One easy example–good client service just a few years ago is nothing special today. You should be able to map your changes and demonstrate why the changes are an improvement. Can you?