Just like Pixar was shaped by the phrase, “just make it great,” there’s another phrase that can be of extraordinary value to teams that embrace it: Make it Better.
If a group of people can consistently ask themselves what they can do to make it—whatever “it” may be—better, they are practicing a habit that can help them actually achieve something great. And all it takes is each person simply asking, What can I do to make things better?
The value of this question is that it reminds us that there are always things we can do to make things better, whether it be in our work, or in our relationships, or other areas of life. If we forget about being perfect, but focus on a consistently making things better, not only is that something that is achievable, but in the end, it can help us continue further than we would otherwise. What we’re working on may not be great yet, but we can do something to make it better. Or, it may already be great, and yet there are still things we can do to make it even better.
Making something great first starts with making it better. And contributing to that process is something each of us can do.