Interestingly, I am often in the position of leader/boss/manager/client. One of my favorite questions to ask specialists is: "of everything that's in our scope,

Interestingly, I am often in the position of leader/boss/manager/client. One of my favorite questions to ask specialists is: "of everything that's in our scope, is there anything you think is not worth doing?" Another working paradigm I find critical to effective management is limiting myself to a tiny "nitpick budget" so that we focus on what matters without eroding morale/trust/time/attention (if the job is not being done to core standards, I'd find a new specialist altogether). Once again, the distinction between good work and polished work is critical. (It deserves its own essay!) And I agree with you – the ability to make this distinction – and to never push against against core standards – is a basic requirement.