Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
Seneca
Success in business (and life) can be summarized as figuring out where you want to go (strategy), and getting there (execution). Great strategy drives growth; great execution drives profit. Great organizations learn how to balance growth and profitability over the long term.
Research shows that organizations using a systematic approach for managing strategy and execution outperform those that don’t by a factor of 2:1. This is based on 600 companies over a 10-year period. Source: Hendricks, K.B. and Singhal, V.R. (1999).
The question is not “what does it take to outperform?” but “are we willing to do what it takes to outperform?
Only occasionally will a major stroke of luck and fortune or insight bring great success quickly. Most of the time, business success comes only after putting together a lot of little details that add up to the lager whole.
Small tasks done well add up to a successful project. Projects done well add up to business success. It is the small steps taken consistently that generate repeat business like.
- Prompt return of calls or quick response of emails to customers.
- Following up and following through of your promises.
- On timely delivery, every time.
Here’s the lesson for you and me …
Don’t be above doing the little things well (and right).
Put in your work and give genuine effort – even on the small, seemingly unimportant details and nuances of your craft. Sweat the small stuff and do it right and your business will grow-as will its good reputation. Ponder then on these three questions:
- What will make us different?
- What can we be best at?
What do we have a passion for?
