Quest for Perfectionism

BFSI organizations have an ambitious goal: 100% digitalization. What will deliver this is technology and who will deliver this is IT professionals. IT professionals are on a continuous learning curve and pursuing lofty goals. Do they need the power of perfectionism? Do they have it within? Should they strive for it? 13 IT leaders from varied financial organizations reveal their experiences and thoughtful perspectives about perfectionism. All opinions expressed by the participants are their individual opinions and not necessarily those of the organizations they represent.

Perfectionism – Rising or Declining?

Is there a growing trend towards perfectionism among IT professionals, or is it declining?

If this question were to be treated as an election, then among our 11 voters, 3 have voted for decline, 4 have voted for increase and 4 have voted for nuanced.

Shobika, Anupreet and Vamsi explain the decline. Shobika observes that perfectionism is declining among the experienced employees, though it is increasing among the freshers.

Anupreet asserts that in the IT world, progress matters more than perfection. Perfection can sometimes deter processes, especially in software development. Rather, what is valued more is collaboration which shows progress in delivery rather than waiting for the product to be perfect. Or in other words, journey is more important than the destination.

Vamsi agrees. He explains that the agility needs of today’s digital natives are more about delivering a ‘minimum viable product’ in the shortest timeframe than eyeing a perfect solution in the first attempt. Trends across industries, including large enterprises globally, suggest a similar bias, he says.

Nathan, Sarita, Muhammad and Jayachandra explain the rise.

Nathan sees an increasing trend towards perfectionism among IT professionals, which is shaped by industry and work culture. He alludes that perfectionism has negative impacts on individuals which must be mitigated. Towards this goal, the industry is promoting a culture of learning, worklife balance, and collaboration. Nathan sees a balance between striving for high standards and maintaining a healthy work environment is crucial for IT professionals’ sustainable growth and success.

Like Nathan, Sarita too sees a growing trend towards perfectionism aided by tools and technologies that boost efficient. This is unlike earlier times when one had to find a good balance between perfectionism and delivery deadlines with a minimum acceptance level.