Little Things do Matter!
Posted by Meredith Estep on Wed, Nov 25, 2009 @ 10:00 AM
The differences between "good" and "absolutely great" are often surprisingly small.
Little things do matter!
Think about two restaurants in which you have recently dined; one was a "good" experience, and the other was an "absolutely great" experience. Now, identify the specific differences between the two experiences which contributed to your final opinions about the two restaurants. While perhaps similar in price, menu and atmosphere, why would you describe one restaurant as good, and the other as memorably great? The differences are usually a small number of "little things" in a couple of key areas that were important to you. Now, which restaurant are you most likely to go back to? Refer to friends? Be in business longer? Little things do matter!
Here are some tips:
1. Learn something new every day.
It is extremely important to continually improve ones skills and techniques. Little things do matter. Even small improvements in a limited number of critical areas, such as your coaching skills or strategic thinking abilities, can yield dramatic differences in your performance and expected outcomes, now and in the future.
2. Analyze and plan before you act. Be proactive, not reactive.
Do not react to people or the situations in a "default mode." While reacting with "what comes naturally" could occasionally be correct, you will be more effective, if you listen, plan, think and choose responses which are appropriate to the situation at hand.
Next time you find yourself in a critical situation, take time to assess the situation and think it through before you react. Remember, small differences in behavior can yield huge differences in performance, as the little things do matter!
- JennyWinkler