Issue 019: Is it an Action or a Habit?
– Peter Drucker
Over the weekend, I talked with a friend who is moving from Boston to Rhode Island in two weeks. In our conversation, she mentioned each day she continues doing another “once-over” to decrease the chance of packing, moving, and storing items she’s doesn’t need in her new space.
I know the feeling and you probably do if you’ve ever moved. I pulled several boxes marked “office” I had stored in the closet two years ago. I found old tear sheets [publishing term for printed magazine articles], CDs filled with my guest spots on various television shows, and notes from prior clients. I’ll admit I've moved these boxes three times.
That realization caused me to ask “Is there a current purpose for these items? Do these boxes add value to my business so that they’re worth taking up space?”
The bigger question: “What other professional actions are really a habit without value behind them?”
Back when I worked with the custom builder, if a client needed a special price request (SPR), I had to redline the blueprint [draw the changes on the blueprint in red], describe the request, and send it to the general manager. He would price it out, then give it back to me. I would include these numbers in a new quote and give it to the client. It was a standard procedure in my location long before I started there. Other locations had a list of typical SPRs that the sales executives could use. Think of it like an à la carte menu.
My boxes reminded me of the SPRs. Both were habits.
The locations with an à la cart list were intentional about their processes. They decreased the client’s wait time, the GM’s workload, and the sales executive’s wait time and workload.
As this scenario played in my mind, it had me thinking about the bigger picture of my own business. What actions have become a habit like those SPRs?
A mentor, during our business conversations, often quoted Peter Drucker “What you can’t measure, you can’t improve.” It drove me crazy because he always caught an area that I hadn’t tracked. These areas wouldn’t improve because I wasn’t intentional about them.
As we enter a new season, consider giving your actions and systems a once-over. There might be an action or two that needs a change.
Momentum Questions
What professional or personal areas have remained status quo?
Where do you need to be more intentional?
What do you need to measure to improve?
A Grateful Thank You
Thank you to everyone who shared Bounce-Up Chronicles.
Until next time, have a Bounce-Up™ day!
Mj
P.S. Check out the Bounce-Up book review by sales productivity expert Shannon Gregg.
