We, as a species, are big fans of veneer.

No, not Vermeer. Although Girl with a Pearl Earring is a beautiful piece, I must admit. The enigmatic nature of her countenance, at times, rivals even that of the Mona Lisa. Don’t you think?
Wait a second. Where was I going with this? Oh yes. Veneer.

We like to hide reality under artifice. We like to cover up the bad with the good. To make things look better than they are.

It’s a Wizard-of-Oz, man-behind-the-curtain sort of thing.

And business is no different.

We may plod along with our archaic filing systems. Our poorly organized desktops. And our inefficient processes. Only to hide those broken and ugly elements with a fine shell of veneer.

Look at how pretty my brochure is. Look at how well the Web site functions. Look at what I delivered, not how I delivered it.

But fact of the matter is, it all matters. And the journey is as important as the destination.

Call it “getting the house in order.” Call it “sharpening the saw.” Call it whatever euphemism you like. I don’t really care what you call it. I just care what you do about it.

So, take a look at your inner workings, not just your results. Take a look at your processes and ask, “Does this embarrass me?”

If you had to show that process to someone else or hand your work to someone else or explain to another party how you do what you do, would that embarrass you?

That’s a problem. And, believe me, it’s grinding on you. It might not be obvious, but subconsciously it’s weighing on you. Trust me.

So take some time to step back and assess.

Does that embarrass you? Then fix it.