Over the past weeks, I’ve been reflecting deeply on how readiness — emotional, cognitive, and technical — shapes not only the quality of our work, but the rhythm of our lives. With The Power of Process doHow® being my previous article, I explored how smooth flow, clean inputs, and clean handovers create efficiency and peace.
Today, I turn to the next doHow® Technical Competency — one that quietly strengthens every system, every profession, and every society: Standards doHow®.
In my blog, The Prosperity doHow® – A Simple Way to Keep Growing, I wrote that prosperity is not random. It is built through readiness in three foundations:
- Emotional Competencies – how I relate with myself and others
- Cognitive Competencies – how I think, understand, and decide
- Technical Competencies – how I perform with skill, discipline, and excellence
These three pillars form the doHow® Emotional and Rational Maturity Scales, which guide me to grow steadily in wisdom, capability, and trustworthiness — step-by-step, day-by-day.
The doHow® Readiness Assessment shows me where I stand in this journey and which maturity level I must strengthen next.
Among the Technical Competencies, none is more misunderstood — yet more transformative — than Standards doHow®.
Understanding Standards doHow®
To me, Standards doHow® is the art of making life simpler, safer, more reliable, and more predictable — through shared rules we all believe in.
Standards are not restrictions. Standards are agreements. Agreements that help us work together without confusion, conflict, or chaos.
When I deeply understand the purpose of standards, I realise something profound:
Standards are the backbone of a civilised society.
Without standards, traffic turns into accidents. Without standards, food becomes unsafe. Without standards, machines fail. Without standards, teamwork collapses. Without standards, trust disappears.
Every time a society evolves — from villages to cities, from craftsmanship to industry, from informal habits to organised functioning — it evolves through clear, shared, purposeful standards.
Just as a building stands on a strong foundation, a career stands on the discipline of standards.
When I follow standards, I don’t restrict myself; I free myself — from rework, from mistakes, from crises, from surprises.
Standards are like the lines on a highway. They don’t slow me down; they let me move faster and safer.
The Seven Levels of Standards doHow® Maturity
Like all doHow® competencies, Standards doHow® grows through levels — from simply noticing standards, to creating world-class systems that people trust and follow.
I have included the hierarchy level, in Brackets, where, in my experience, the corresponding maturity level becomes essential for being efficient and effective without unnecessary stress. Along with this, I have added a reflection question to stimulate deeper thinking, and more importantly, a practice activity to help master the level. Consistent practice over 8 to 14 weeks is usually needed to consciously program this into our subconscious, turning it into muscle memory—something we naturally live by and truly get by heart.
Standards doHow® Level 1 – Rule Learner (IL – Individual Leaders / Contributors)
At this entry level, I recognise the standards in my work — safety rules, quality checks, formats, guidelines.
Like a new driver learning road signs, I begin noticing what keeps the work environment safe and steady.
Reflection Question:
Do I know the key standards I must follow every day?
Practice to Master:
List the top 5 standards that apply to your role. Read them once daily for two weeks.
Hint:
Awareness is the first step to discipline.
Standards doHow® Level 2 – Careful Follower (IL – Individual Leaders / Contributors)
Here, I start following the standards strictly and consciously.
Like wearing a seatbelt every day, I do it not because someone checks, but because I believe in its value.
Reflection Question:
Do I follow the standards even when nobody is watching?
Practice to Master:
Pick one standard you tend to skip under pressure. Follow it strictly for 10 days.
Hint:
True discipline shows up when no one is monitoring.
Standards doHow® Level 3 – Version Keeper (TL – Team Leaders of IL)
Now I move from following standards to checking if they are being followed.
Like a quality inspector, I develop a keen eye for deviations — not to blame, but to protect the process.
Reflection Question:
Do I regularly check if others follow the standards correctly?
Practice to Master:
Create a simple checklist for one key standard. Review it daily with your team.
Hint:
Checking is not policing — it is caring for consistency.
Standards doHow® Level 4 – Shortcut Avoider (FL – Function Leaders of TL)
At this level, I address deviations whenever I see them.
Like fixing a loose screw before the machine breaks down, I act early and prevent bigger problems.
Reflection Question:
Do I correct deviations immediately and explain why the standard matters?
Practice to Master:
Every time you find a deviation, fix it politely but firmly. Share the purpose behind the standard.
Hint:
Small corrections prevent big crises.
Standards doHow® Level 5 – Compliance Promoter (BL – Business Leaders of FL)
Here, I improve existing standards when they become outdated, confusing, or ineffective.
I involve users, understand pain points, and refine the rules for smoother implementation.
Reflection Question:
Do I review standards regularly to ensure they are still relevant and useful?
Practice to Master:
Select one old standard. Ask three people how it can be improved. Implement a simple revision.
Hint:
Standards must evolve with reality — not remain frozen in time.
Standards doHow® Level 6 – Controlled Changer (CL – Company Leaders of BL)
At this stage, I design new standards — for safety, quality, communication, or workflow.
Like an architect preparing a blueprint, I think deeply about the purpose, the user, and the long-term benefits.
Reflection Question:
Do I create clear, meaningful standards that make work easier, safer, and more reliable?
Practice to Master:
Create one new standard for an area where confusion happens often. Pilot it with a small team.
Hint:
A great standard is simple to follow and difficult to misunderstand.
Standards doHow® Level 7 – Standards Leader
This is the highest level — where I build a culture of standards.
A culture where people understand why standards exist, believe in their purpose, and follow them willingly.
It is like building a city where everyone follows traffic rules because they want safety, not because they fear fines.
Reflection Question:
Are standards deeply embedded in how we think, work, and grow as an organisation?
Practice to Master:
Review your top organisational standards. Ensure their purpose is clearly communicated at every level.
Hint:
Standards become culture when people see the meaning behind them.
As I reflect on these seven levels, one truth stands out:
Standards are not about control — they are about evolution. They move a society from random behaviour to reliable progress. They help individuals grow from uncertainty to confidence.
Every breakthrough in human history — safety belts, quality systems, building codes, hygiene rules — began when a group of people agreed: “There must be a better, safer, clearer way.”
The purpose of standards is not to limit creativity, but to protect it, so that our energy goes into improvement — not into fixing chaos.
Standards give us a common language. A shared expectation. A predictable environment. A stable foundation on which excellence rises.
When I honour standards, my work becomes lighter, my stress reduces, my results improve, and my team trusts me more.
Like all doHow® competencies, Standards doHow® grows through awareness, practice, reflection, and reinforcement. The doHow® Readiness Assessment helps me know which level I must strengthen next.
As I grow from Rule Learner to Standards Leader, something powerful happens:
- My discipline becomes natural
- My decisions become sharper
- My work becomes predictable
- My influence becomes stronger
- My teams become consistent
- My organisation becomes dependable
And prosperity rises — not as a reward, but as a consequence of shared standards.
If Process doHow® creates flow, and Value doHow® creates meaning, then Standards doHow® creates stability — the foundation upon which flow and meaning stand.
Standards protect us from yesterday’s mistakes. They guide us through today’s complexity. They prepare us for tomorrow’s possibilities.
Today, whenever I see a standard — a checklist, a guideline, a safety rule, a quality instruction — I ask myself:
Do I understand why this standard exists? Do I believe in its purpose? And am I honouring the society that created it?
Because every standard I follow is a small step toward a better workplace…
and a more evolved society.
Happy Reading!