By Bill Cusick | April 01, 2010 at 11:20 AM EDT |
No Comments
Just got back from a few fun days in Arizona with my 12 year-old son for White Sox spring training. Super fun! Bright blue skies, bright green field and a relaxed atmosphere. It's great to watch professionals up close as they go about the work of preparing for the season.
It struck me that, as these players - the very best in the world, making millions of dollars each year - work back into playing shape, it's the simple things that they focus on. Each day you see them stretching, then lobbing the ball back and forth. They hit off a tee, then start swinging at softly pitched balls. It's the stuff of little boys, and yet it's for a very specific purpose. They understand that - even if you are one of the elite - you can't walk into a real game situation and expect to hit a 90 mph slider, or throw a ball from deep left field to homeplate. Instead you start with the basics and work up to a high performance level.
So, I'm wondering, why do companies, when trying to improve performance (specifically around customer metrics), often over reach, spending thousands - even millions - on quick-fix solutions like CRM systems or training programs. Why not, instead, start with the little things. For instance, take some small steps aimed at improving employee engagement. Then incrementally increase the efforts to improve customer experience as you get your employees on board.
Major league players understand that trying to hit a home run in your first at bat of spring training will probably just lead to a pulled muscle and a stay on the disabled list. Businesses should realize the same thing.
Small things matter. And if they're done right, the small things lead to big things.
