The One Thing = Everything
The way we do one thing is the way we do everything.
Is this entirely true? No. But it’s a good way to set a standard of integrity with both the big stuff and small stuff. As we march toward a new year, I like to think of the basic principles - not the high-minded complexities that most tempt me - but really the fundamentals of how I operate, as a strategy for looking ahead.
Loyal readers will know that I can’t stop talking about systems and operating principles as drivers of success. Hopefully this message is helpful in understanding what I mean.
There is a story, maybe you’ve heard it. It’s about a man who was known to get dressed up to hear a Sunday opera program - shoes shined, tie straightened, pants ironed. The catch? The program was on the radio. I love this story because it captures the idea that some of us choose to do the most noble thing, even when no one is watching.
It is for this same reason that a few weeks into the pandemic, when we didnt know which end was up, I made it a point to start wearing real pants and shoes for my Zoom meetings. No one else could see, but I could feel a difference in how I showed up to work. This in turn transformed my ability to serve my clients. (I even shaved more often than necessary!)
This one thing had a direct effect on everything.
Another example was in my last newsletter. I demonstrated that a messy barn is an expensive problem, ultimately. But it also could indicate sloppy bookkeeping or disorganized forecasts.
Addressing issues systematically - one thing at a time - is the only way to see around corners to get to sustained growth. And growth is what we’re usually going for.
So when you start to tackle each “one thing” as though it will eventually become “everything,” change is the natural, inevitable result.
Is the way we keep our closet as important as the way we organize our desk?
Is the way we greet a flight attendant as important as how we address the CEO?
I don’t really distinguish these things anymore. But it has been a decision, not a default, to live this way.
Besides just being a better human being, I realized at some point in my professional life that when I did one thing fully, completely and with total attention, it set me up to do the next thing with the same rigor.
It then led to better conversations, because I wasn't rushing through them or taking them for granted. It made me see my fastidiousness or sloppiness - starkly. And allowed me to make a decision about the kind of person I wanted to be…and become.
We all want to be valuable team members.
We all want to be irreplaceable partners.
And we all want to be giving as much as we’re getting.
So often, it starts with a simple idea. And it’s easy to start right now.
Think about it.
What’s the next thing you need to do?
Is it to make a second cup of coffee?
Call your CFO?
Follow up with a client?
Make this next thing the way you’d do the biggest, most important job of your life.
And see how far you can take it.
I just started my car and queued up "Thunder Road"..
Where am I headed? LAX.
But no journey is too mundane for this effort.
“We got one last chance to make it real
To trade in these wings on some wheels
Climb in back, heaven's waiting down on the tracks”
Wishing you a very happy new year - thank you for being on this road with me..
Here’s to more “everythings” in 2024.
BG