Two Minutes Du Jour

Do the Little Things to Win by Bud Schneider

I admit that I’m a baseball fan, sports fan in general but baseball has a special place in my heart.   Among the lessons I’ve learned from playing sports is that to be successful you must do the little things right.   

Let me explain with a baseball metaphor.  Bunting is a little thing, a small part of the game that does not show up in the highlights, sports writers don’t write about a player who advances runners by bunting, the stadium doesn’t erupt for a successful bunt.   However, the teams that win are the ones who bunt well and do all the other small unheralded things correctly.   The teams that don’t execute the small details successfully are much less likely to win.

This is the same for your personal life and your business life.   Many businesses are focused on a lot of the right things but forget about the small actions that, taken correctly, will make the difference between good and great.  They don’t understand that the person who spends a few extra minutes to make sure the deliverable is not just done on time but is done in a manner that delights their customer is likely providing a service that their competition isn’t providing.  Are the bathrooms in your business clean, well lit, painted?   What message is sent to employees when bathrooms are dingy?  Sounds silly but I guarantee you people notice and get a sense of well being and gratitude when you pay attention to such details.  They will want to come to work and do a good job.

Using good grammar in writing and speaking are not worthy of home-run accolades, and are generally taken for granted – but not writing or speaking correctly can be detrimental.   Same in your personal life.   Are you helping clear the table after dinner without asking?   Do you open the door and allow the person behind you to enter first?  Are you a few minutes early to meetings?   Not doing these things won’t likely result in getting fired or in trouble, but doing them right gives you that little extra something – an edge perhaps – to foster deeper relationships and get noticed in a positive manner.   Maybe it’ll be the difference between being considered for a promotion, making a sale, or making a friend.

Take the time to recognize the small actions you take (or should take) – do them well, do them often.   I promise that it’ll make a positive impact in your life and in your business.

Two Links Du Jour:

The Power of Consistency – Simon Sinik 5-minute video

The Art of Small: How to Make an Impact – Zen Habits