I've never been one to make sweeping changes in a
sudden burst of enthusiasm.
But don't
misunderstand, when change has a reasonable
chance for success and improvement, you can count
me in.
I've been thinking about change and how to get a little
more done each day in my business without snorting,
rearing and getting white-eyed around the people
close to
me.
You probably know overcharged change artists who
start acting like completely different people when they
decide abruptly to do things differently. They become
whirlwinds of drama to change behavior and expect
immediate results and gratification.
The business and home climate is filled with sprinting
movement, rapid talking and a manifesto of new rules
and ideas to live by. It's a theatrical melodrama for
others viewing from backstage.
Passionate soliloquies, emotional gestures and
much weeping and gnashing of teeth just aren't
my
style, so I've been thinking about the process of
change in terms of one of my favorite fractions.
It's
10%, ten percent, 1/10, one tenth or even ten
one
hundredths.
Say it any way you like, ten percent is:
- a decent return on investment,
- a fair commission rate,
- an OK employee turnover rate;
- a good discount rate,
- an acceptable party guest no-show rate,
- a fair vacancy rate and,
- just an all around reliable percentage.
I've been thinking about getting more done for about
ten
percent of my "freewheeling thinking" time today and
came up with a 10 percent theory for
increasing productivity.
What if you:
- keyboarded 10% faster
- answered the phone 10% faster
- ended conversations 10% faster
- made decisions 10% quicker
- gave instructions 10% faster
- angered 10% slower
- spoke with 10% fewer words
- started work 10% earlier and quit 10% sooner
- increased your network of business alliances by
10% each month
Or you could try to:
- reduce expenses by 10%
- increase sales by 10% each quarter
- give 10% more compliments
- give 10% less criticism
- smile 10% more each day
- eat 10% less fat
- drink 10% more water
It sure sounds more doable than the alternatives for
making changes. You fill in the blanks for your
horse business:
- Increase outdated boarding, lesson, training rates
by 10%
- Increased the number of students in lesson
program by 10%
- Gave clients 10% more customer service
- _________________________________
- _________________________________
- _________________________________
No doubling, tripling or home runs required.
Just
10% more.
